Obedience: White Lies
by Kyae
Summary: Adopted from Kajikistune. When Yuki is found unconsious and bleeding in that dark room, ten years after the first time everyone knows something must be done to protect him - but who can defy god? Who can someone who's lost their hope trust in the end?
1. Yozamu

**03.07.2009, edited 01.10.2010**

Chapter 1 – Yozamu

**Saturday 15****th**** October 2011**

Silence consumed the great Sohma estate that night he first returned to the place of his nightmares…

… In the Sohma estate, everyone was forbidden to leave their individual homes after curfew, especially if they lived near Akito's quarters…

… But just because they weren't allowed outside didn't mean that they couldn't hear the Nezumi's screams of terror through their double-glazed windows, or see the blackened window in Akito's house, which would now surely be splattered once more with the crimson blood of his most prized Nezumi…

Only one person was outside on this fateful night, disobeying the Kami's orders – Hatori.

_-'Why?' _He thought to himself. _'Because if I am not here, then I won't be able to save him… I won't be able to heal his wounds if he comes, not if I'm inside… Yuki would never come and _ask_ for help, not now, he wouldn't even when he was little… so I must be there to offer it to him, and carry it out even when he says that he is not worth the trouble…'-_

So all Hatori could do was sit there on that cold night, smoking his cigar, and watching that blank room, waiting for the screams to cease, the moment when he could enter the household and rescue the teenaged Nezumi who still couldn't escape from his nightmares, not even ten years after they had began…

_-'Please, if there is another god out there… please help Yuki… please…'-_

It was only when he heard someone else running up to that room did he get of his lookout post and see who would intervene foolishly with what was happening…

... And would try to help them in every possible way...

* * *

But in the dark world of the Sohma's, as Hatori knew all too well, there is only one god that will ever be with _us_ – and that god is here, on earth... his name is Akito Sohma, and he's the one person who _wouldn't_ want to help me…

Because _he_ was the one raining down the endless torment upon me...

"Please… Akito… _please_… stop…" Amidst the echoing silence a small voice spoke, trying to keep the shuddering out of his frail tones… in vein…

_**My voice…**_

"Aww Yuki, my poor little Yuki… are you _scared_…?" As I sat there, terrified in that bleak darkness I could feel Akito's frail, chilling fingers stroke my face, lingering just long enough to send a shiver down my spine… "You _know_ it's only **your** fault that this is happening… don't you…? You _know_ that I wouldn't be like this if you only did as I asked, and stopped GOING AGAINST ME!"

As Akito's temper rose I could feel his hand grip my silver hair roughly, before using it to propel me against the wall, blood trickling down the painted panes as I fell limp, helpless to stop the onslaught that I knew was to come…

"There, there, my little Nezumi, don't cry…" As he spoke my hand flew up to my cheeks. Had I really been crying…? Apparently so… "Do not fear about being alone… sure, the others will leave you, but **I** never will…"

That made me cry out even more – a sobbing, desperate cry – how could he call a life seeing only one person, a person you _feared_ as 'not being alone'? If being alone was having a life without Akito, then I would gladly choose to be 'alone' for all of my life – _gladly_…

But I would never – _could_ never tell him that... I wasn't strong enough...

I never was...

"No! A… Akito… p… please stop…!"

I could feel the tingling sensation on my back before I fully comprehended what was happening – that the blooded rope slashing against what was left of my cloths and my bare flesh wasn't from a nightmare… at least not one that I could wake from and think of as a dream – because I was already awake… and this wasn't a dream – it was a reality, and there was nothing I could do to stop what was happening…

"AKITO, OPEN THE DOOR!" We both paused for a moment, frozen in time, as someone tried to open the locked door, and, once they realised that they couldn't, began pounding upon it frantically. But the voices… one I could unmistakeably identify as Hatori's… but the _other_ one… W-was it _Niisan's_?

"AKITO!"

Either way, it didn't matter, as, alas, Akito turned away from the sounds smirking maliciously, and as the pounding of the rope resumed I forgot about the voices who had been trying to rescue me, all sound blocked out behind the terror…

I closed of my ears to the words that Akito whispered around me, but it didn't stop them being etched upon my soul, remaining there for all eternity, for everyone to see. I had grown a mask over the years I had been away from Akito's cruel gaze… but it didn't matter now. You would have to be _blind_ not to notice what I was like.

How pathetic I was.

So I lay there, unmoving as Akito tortured me, trying to keep my mind off the horrendous things that were happening to me… and failing dismally…

Then, as I thought I was about to collapse from the exhaustion and the pain, he stopped, and crouched down next to me, low enough so that we were face-to-face as he forced me to stare into his swirling black orbs.

"Don't worry, my precious little Nezumi… I won't let you be corrupted anymore… I'll make sure that you come back _**home**_…"

After all the pain I had been forced to suffer through, it was only **after** he left the room that I allowed myself the small bliss of nothingness, of collapsing into a world that surely was better than _this_ one…

… But the fates wouldn't even let me stay in _that_ state for long.

* * *

"AKITO, OPEN THE DOOR! AKITO!"

We stood there for what seemed like hours, pounding at the door, trying to force it open… but in the end it was actually Akito who let us in.

"He's ready for you Hatori." His voice sent a shiver down my back as he left, completely unconcerned about what state Yuki could be in… "Make sure he doesn't die..."

… And in a bad state he was.

In the corner of the dark room lay Yuki, but it wasn't the calm, 'masked' Yuki we had known to develop over the last few years.

This Yuki was a wreck.

Huddled as far as he could from the foreboding oak door, you could barely see him amongst the shadows and the blood. But what you _could_ see of him was enough to make even the most hardened of hearts feel queasy. All around the room were shreds of silken cloths, and what was left on the boy barely even covered him… and played no part in protecting him from the pain that had been inflicted to the rest of his fragile body.

It simply looked as if he had been clothed in red – that was how bad he had been hit by the rope that lay on the floor tauntingly, abandoned by its master…

"What has Akito _done_ to him?" Never had I heard Ayame's voice so quiet, so… _serious_… and it scared me in a way to see him like that… so _vulnerable_… "If I see him…"

"Then you'll do nothing Ayame. You won't, and Yuki won't do anything either… because we **can't** do anything about it." I whispered, pain of the situations turning my voice bitter.

"So what?" Ayame's voice had turned slightly annoyed as he fully understood the state that we were all in – his pretences of playfulness and 'care freeness' now completely gone from his system as hate boiled inside him. "Are we just going to let this… this…?"

"Yuki…?" I went slowly to him, and as I crouched down next to him he began to shiver violently. '_This can't be good…' _My mind informed me, to which I glared inwardly at myself, "Yuki… are you alright…?"

"Leave me alone…" The teenager's hoarse voice shocked me – how long had he been in this room, alone, with no food or drink, _screaming_…? "P… please… I… leave me…"

Why wouldn't the boy look up…? Why wouldn't he relax now his fears were gone…?

"Yuki…" Ayame crouched down at the other side of him, concerned at his brother's health. "Akito's not here anymore… You can look up…"

* * *

"_Why won't you look up my Yuki when I am speaking to you? I want to see your beautiful amethyst eyes…"_

* * *

"NO! L-leave me alone!" Even though there was some power in his voice, by the end of his sentence it had crumbled away into a plea, rather than a demand.

"Yuki…" Ayame reached out and touched Yuki's shoulder gently, but he flinched away, curling up into an even tighter ball.

* * *

"_It's _such _a pity that you haven't learned from the mistakes in your past Yuki… I suppose I'll just have to __**tame**__ you again…" He grabbed my shoulder roughly and caressed my skin gently, before digging in his nails, slicing though everything in their path, flesh, cloth or bone… "And you know how much I __**love**__ to keep you in your pitiful place now… don't you…?"_

"_Get away from me Akito!" I awaited the punishment that would come from my words obediently – now those words had passed my lips there was no going back, and __**no**__ time for please… pleas which would be sure to fail…_

* * *

"Hatori…?" I looked up from my case and saw Ayame facing me, a worried expression on his face. And I only had to look down briefly to see what caused the expression on his face; the curled up Yuki was shaking violently now, and I knew instantly why that was – he was having flashbacks…

And there was only one way to stop him from having them…

"I'm sorry for doing this Yuki…" I whispered to him as I pushed the sharp needle into his bare flesh, causing him to go limp in my arms. "But it's the only way to stop you from suffering… The only way…"

"What are you doing to him Hatori…?" Ayame whispered as I carried Yuki away from the room of his nightmares and into my office, careful not to wake him, as even the powerful sedative that was working in his bloodstream wouldn't keep him in anything more than a light slumber – his rat DNA already becoming immune to the human sedative.

"Taking him to safety, at least for now. Call Shigure Ayame. Tell him that Yuki won't be back… at least not until he is no longer in this state… I don't want Honda-san to have to worry… its best if she doesn't know about this until he chooses to tell her, I suppose…"

"Know what Hatori-san?"

"Know the secrets that are contained in this room... I doubt if even he can remember all that happened here..."

_[Little did they know that the memory was etched into the frail boy's memory __**far**__ too well...]_

* * *

**I must confess that I have a soft spot for the "almighty author".**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits Basket. (This will probably be the only time I'll say it, as I generally forget to put it in xD)**

**The original plotline for this story (well, three chapters were outlined) is from Kajikistune. **

**Kyae**

**P.S. This chapter, and all subsequent ones were edited at the date of the epilogue, to complete the story fully.**


	2. Nemurigusuri

**07.07.2009 – edited 01.10.2010**

Chapter 2 – Nemurigusuri

(Sleeping Powder)

**Thursday 13th October 2011**

"_... It's best if she doesn't know about this until he chooses to tell her, I suppose…"_

"_Know what Hatori-san?"_

"_Know the secrets that are contained in this room... I doubt if even he can remember all that happened here..."_

_[Little did they know that the memory was etched into the frail boy's memory __**far**__ too well...]_

* * *

As I let myself be consumed by the darkness around me, I couldn't help but remember what had happened in the last few minutes… hours… and days… _why_ I had come to be like _this_, a helpless plaything for god yet again… I couldn't help but remember who it was that betrayed me to be a sacrifice of the curse once more…

Shigure.

It was he, that night two days ago, who returned from the main house, and followed the orders that had been given to him, even though he knew that it would only end up in my pain… or worse…

My extermination...

* * *

"Aren't you hungry Yuki-kun…? Do you want me to make you something else…? A… Are you sick?" Honda-san's voice spread through the room, snapping me out of my thoughts, and making me realise that I hadn't touched the food that she had so generously made for me.

"Don't worry about that k'so Nezumi, Tohru – who cares if he gets sick? Not me! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" The shriek at the end of his pathetic declaration was due to me sending him flying through the door at the other end of the room.

"I apologise for that baka Neko's stupidity Honda-san, he really just can't help it." I smirked as I spoke, but even still, something felt wrong.

And where was Shigure?

He had been acting strangely recently, and today he had gone without a word, leaving his poor editor trying to hang herself on our doorstep when we arrived home from school.

"You've not been destroying my house _again_ have you Yuki-kun?" _Speak of the Devil…_

"It's not my fault that the Neko can't keep his guard up Shigure."

It was what I said every time when this happened, and it was completely true…

"You say it as if _you've_ never let your guard down…" He whispered, and only I knew what he meant by it, my eyes hardening.

… but yes, it wasn't as if _I_ had never let my guard down… admittedly it wasn't when the Neko was near me… but Shigure had seen the result of me letting my guard down…

… And the bastard still brought the topic up…

… He must be in a bad mood or something…

"What do you want Shigure?" I narrowed my eyes slightly at him, trying to figure him out.

"What?" His eyes widened in fake innocence as mine narrowed more. "Do I have to have a motive behind _everything_…?"

As he began talking about some nonsense in French (a language I had never liked…) I walked away, meaning to go up to my room, but Shigure stopped me, his face suddenly serious… but there was something else in there… something… _malicious_ in the glint of his eye…

"Yuki…?" He grabbed onto my shoulder and pulled me back. "I need to talk to you…? Is that okay…?"

"Hmm…?" I looked back briefly and sighed. After all, I had really wanted to finish that gardening book I had been reading… but he seemed so… different… _Stoic..._"Sure…"

I suppose that curiosity didn't ONLY kill the cat…

… For it sure destroyed me…

Silence consumed the house as I followed Shigure up to his office, and sat on the chair opposite him that Mii-san had so often sat in to complain to Shigure about his deadlines, but the man facing me wasn't the joking, care-free man that constantly teased her. No. He was so different, I became almost suspicious that it was all an act… and it could all well be, I suppose…

"So what do you want Shigure?" I was beginning to get suspicious… and nervous as he sat in his large chair staring at me.

"Please Yuki, have a drink. You like tea, don't you…?" He began to pour me a drink, and as he handed it to me I stared at it, apprehensively. "Well…? Are you trying to tell me that you won't have the tea I have so kindly made for you out of the scant goodness of my heart…?"

Well I couldn't _not_ have some after him saying that, could I? After all, I _did_ live in his house…

So I drank the tea…

… And instantly knew it was a mistake…

As the bitter taste of the tea trickled down my parched throat I could feel it boiling inside me, drying up my mouth so I _had_ to drink it all, but still my thirst was not quenched.

"Shigure, what have you DONE to this drink?"

"Hmm…?" He looked up innocently from where he was writing, and his eyes gleamed that same malicious gleam they had in them before. "Oh…? Your drink…? I just put some drug or another in it…"

"WHAT?" I couldn't help myself; I just had to get out of the room before something happened to me…

… But my legs wouldn't move… _at all_…

"I wouldn't bother trying to escape Yuki-kun…" The way he phrased his sentence, it was just so _patronising_… and I could do nothing about it! "It won't change the fact of what will happen."

"_What_ will happen then Shigure? TELL ME!" I couldn't stand the suspense any longer – I wanted… no, I _needed_ to know what was going to happen to me – because I was suddenly getting that strange feeling that what would happen _wouldn't_ be good…

"Oh…" He smiled gently to himself as he looked at me, helpless and in his power, before resuming his talk in that patronising tone that irritated me so, _so_ much… "I'm only following orders Yuki, and you should know well enough that _none _of us can disobey our 'god'…"

"No…" He wouldn't have…

… He _had_…

He knows how much I fear Akito, and yet still he is doing this… even though he was the one that took me out of that hellhole…

… Does that just make this place a holding cell, and he the jailor? Was this just a place to keep me until my sentencing has been completed…?

Does this make my entire life a sham, a lie?

"Yes, Yuki-kun, you know I can't disobey him, and therefore I must make sure that _you_ don't disobey either…"

"B… but… still! Why did you drug me…?"

I could feel my defences lowering as the drug worked through more of my system, consuming all of the feelings in my body… and I couldn't stop it.

"I know you would have run away if I had just told you Yuki-kun…" He leaned in threateningly; whispering against me ear… just like Akito does… "It was a necessary precaution for when I take you to Akito-sama… after all, I'm not allowed to use force against his little pet, but I _can_ use drugs… so much more convenient, don't you think? And so aptly named... _Akin Kami_..."

I only had two words for him now.

"You. Bastard."

"Tut, tut, tut Yuki-kun, you know that you shouldn't swear in my house, especially when there are impressionable ears here… somewhere…"

"YO, WHERE IS THAT K'SO NEZUMI?"

"… Well… maybe not _him_…"

Kyo! Never before had I been so glad to hear his dulcet tones before – if only I could scream, or call him… _anything_ so he could hear me, and know where I am… and save me…

… But Shigure had obviously thought of the same thing, which was why he pulled out a roll of duct tape.

"You may not believe me Yuki-kun," He whispered as he wrapped the duct tape around my mouth and wrists, binding me to that tiger-print leather chair. "But I really _am_ sorry… I do like you… I just like my master more, and who wouldn't…? Be careful how you answer Yuki-kun… after all, the walls have ears… And my mouth will speak what they hear..."

"You. Bastard."

"Oh Yuki-kun, Yuki-kun… is that _all_ that you're going to say?"

"…"

"Hey, Shigure!" Kyo's voice rand through the house, and again a glimmer of hope shone through me. "Have you seen that damn rat anywhere? He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth!"

"Don't be _ridiculous_!" Shigure sang, laughing gaily. "He's just left you know!"

"Where is he going…? Maybe I can catch him up and have that re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-(you get the idea) re-match on his way there!"

"Kyo, no. I think it's best if you just leave Yuki alone. You can always fight him when he gets back on Monday you know… and I'm sure that he will be in a weakened state then…"

"What? Why?" I could almost _hear_ the glee that must me crossing his face… but what did Shigure mean by it…?

Then he answered my question, and it was the worst answer I could have imagined… _ever_…

"Why will he be weaker…?" Shigure replied to Kyo's question, looking at me, and stroking my cheek as I fell into a forced slumber from the drugs. "Because he is going to be at the main house for the weekend…"

After that, my entire world seemed that little bit darker as I sank into slumber...


	3. Sameru

**11.07.2009, edited 02.10.2010**

Chapter 3 – Sameru

(To awaken)

**Saturday 15th October 2011**

**11:40pm**

_Then he answered my question, and it was the worst answer I could have imagined… ever…_

"_Why will he be weaker…?" Shigure replied to Kyo's question, looking at me, and stroking my cheek as I fell into a forced slumber from the drugs. "Because he is going to be at the main house for the weekend…"_

_After that, my entire world seemed that little bit darker as I sank into slumber..._

* * *

"Still, Shigure, you didn't need to _drug_ him! A white lie would have been sufficient enough to bring him here – you know _that_!"

I awoke to hear Hatori's disapproving tones rebuking someone – Shigure…

… So he really _had_ taken me back to the main house…

… Why though…?

"But Ha'ri! That would be no fun!" The Inu said in his annoyingly cheerful voice, and I couldn't help but want to get up and _leap_ at his throat… but I stopped myself just in time, knowing as soon as they realised that I was awake they would shut up and not mention a thing about what was to come – and I desperately wanted to know why I was here – because it was obviously _not_ for a good reason... no, _that_ was all too clear...

"Shigure. Shut up." Hatori's voice had gone to his most serious tone now, and I could almost imagine Shigure cowering away from him, a thought that made me smile to myself… "This isn't a _game_ you know!"

"Oh, but Ha'ri, to _me_, and to dear Akito-sama, Yuki's life _is_ a game… he is but a pawn in our story, a way for me to make Akito jealous of my having him in my possession, then to please when I let Yuki visit… you don't know how many times I've 'saved' Yuki from visiting Akito… even if it _is _for the purpose for my 'sick' games…"

So what? Now he was claiming to have been 'saving me'? The bastard…

And Hatori appeared to agree with me.

"Stop it Shigure, and _get_ _out_. You are not allowed _anywhere near_ the main house while Yuki is here, _**got it**_?"

"Sure, sure Ha'ri!" Shigure 'sing-sang-ed' as he left the room, leaving me alone with the serious Doctor, and for once, _peace and quiet…_ "I wouldn't want to be near here anyway when he returns!"

"Yuki, come on, you can wake up now." Hatori didn't even bother trying to shake me – did that mean that he knew I had been awake…? "He's gone..."

"W… w…. why am I here Hatori…? W… why did Shigure… drug me…?" As I spoke I could barely get the words out of my mouth, they were so numb from the drugs. But somehow they were coherent enough for Hatori to understand what I was trying to say.

"Because… well Yuki…" He looked away, uncomfortable, and I suddenly got a sinking feeling in my stomach… "Akito… well he…"

"He wants me back doesn't he…?"

The worst possibility in the world – and it had happened to me. To lose my freedom after four blissful years of it… I knew it would destroy me… there was no way my spirit could take _any_ time with Akito… let alone a lifetime of servitude to him…

"Back…? No, no Yuki – he doesn't want you to reside permanently in the main house… at least not yet! H-he just wants you to stay with him for the weekend… and I'm quoting here, okay. 'So he remembers who he truly is…' something along those lines at least…"

So what? Even if it _were_ only for a few days, it would still have the same affect upon me… and I doubt even Miss Honda could cure the scars a nineteen year old could bear upon me… For even as I had grown slightly older, he had grown ten thousand times stronger...

"D… does he… does he know that… that I'm h… here…?" This time the stuttering wasn't from the drug, but from my fear ebbing through me, my imagination already preparing my body and emotions for the worst.

"Yes… he almost two days over a day since you were drugged... Akito-sama's been furious about it... I can hold him off until you are ready Yuki… you don't have to go now…"

"No. I… I think it's best if… I think it is best if I… if I go _now_… so that he doesn't get… even angrier…"

"Are you really sure Yuki…? He… he's in a bad mood now…"

"I'm sure Hatori." I looked at Hatori straight in the eye as I was speaking… because I knew I had to do this now… because it didn't matter when I arrived Akito's – the results would still be the same… they always had been the same and always will be… so what's the point in fighting the inevitable…? I've never seen the point in it… "Just let me go to him… so I can get it all over and done with…"

"I'll be waiting for you." You know, every time I had to go to see Akito, he would always say those words, as if he would drop everything just by knowing that I could get hurt… but I suppose after a life of servitude to the Sohma's, he had gained a second sight to all the goings on of the family.

And ever since that first attack upon me, when it had been up to him to patch me up, he had always been there for me, waiting in the shadows to vanquish the darkness that lay deep inside me…

… The darkness that Akito had created for me…

"Thank you Hatori… I… I'll be careful… or at least _try_ to be…"

Because it didn't matter how careful I was, if Akito was angry, then things were doomed to go wrong from the very beginning… and I knew that better than _anybody_…

"Very well Yuki…" Hatori followed me to the door, but didn't go any further than there, leaving me to make the walk to Akito's chambers alone, and terrified.

I had always feared Akito… ever since that moment when I first saw him, when I wept at his sight… ever since then I have been at his mercy…

There are people at school, councillors who come in to talk to the class, saying how if any of you are abused then you _need_ to speak out… but how can that be possible…?

Akito's dominion over us comes from the curse; he's god, and we can't live without him – literally. If he was taken away or _anything_ we wouldn't be able to survive – we'd go insane without our god there. So that is why we let Akito do these things without outsiders finding out – after all, if one secret of our family was revealed, who is to say that **all** are secret wouldn't be discovered…?

So that is why we remain silent, not only to protect him, but to protect all of us as well – to protect us from the humans he always told us were evil.

"Who are you, what do you want?" A voice called from the other side of the front door as I knocked upon it.

"I… my n… name I… is Y… Yuki Sohma… I… I'm here to see A… Akito-sama…" All of a sudden my nerves all came back; as if they knew Akito wasn't far away.

"Very well," The cut voice replied opening the door before walking down the corridor without looking at me, stopping briefly, indicating for me to follow her. "This way. Akito-sama is expecting you… be careful…"

I barely caught the last part of the woman's sentence, but I took her advice to heart, and knew that I would defiantly carry it out – even if there was no hope that he wouldn't get violent, I could at least try not to get too seriously hurt, even if it were just so Hatori didn't have to waste any more medical supplies…

"Akito-sama," The woman had poked her head around the door, and began to talk to Akito. "Yuki-san is here… do you want him to come in now…?"

"Yes." As soon as Akito spoke I could feel my body freeze up, and all rational thoughts were flown out of my mind as I leant against the wall for support, my head feeling faint. "Send him in… _immediately_…"

As I opened the door and walked into Akito's chamber, the air suddenly went cold as I faced the figment of my nightmares… my living nightmares…


	4. Akujin

**16.07.2009, edited 02.10.2010**

Chapter 4 - Akujin

(Evil God)

**Saturday 15****th**** October 2011**

**11:55pm**

"_Yes." As soon as Akito spoke I could feel my body freeze up, and all rational thoughts were flown out of my mind as I leant against the wall for support, my head feeling faint. "Send him in… __**immediately**__…"_

_As I opened the door and walked into Akito's chamber, the air suddenly went cold as I faced the figment of my nightmares… my living nightmares…_

* * *

The room was just how I last remembered it; old, traditional… and **dark**. There were no windows; just a sliding door that led to the balcony, a balcony which Akito himself was standing on at the moment, looking out onto the Sohma estate like a king lording it down upon his subjects. However this room didn't only have the main door and the balcony door…

… It also had a small, almost too small to get through without crawling, 'cat/_rat_ flap'… an entrance which Akito would use frequently to hide any of his… _possessions_ that misbehaved, as a punishment, naturally. He seemed to have some sadistic obsession with punishing those who had wronged him, despite whether it was their fault or his that something happened… and for some reason I never seemed to do _anything_ right in his eyes…

"So… you finally woke my little Nezumi…" I flinched as he claimed me with his darkened words, but he just ignored my reactions, grabbing roughly a passing bird and squeezing it cruelly in his clawed hand before letting it go to join the other birds that lived in the estate. It was like what he did with _his_ Juunishi; grabbed hold of them to torture them, and destroy their spirits before letting go of them briefly to recover… It was a process I knew all too well. "That's good Yuki-kun… I had thought that you would **never** wake up… stupid Shigure for messing up the doses…"

I knew that he expected me to say something, but I couldn't exactly say 'yes, Shigure shouldn't have put that much' – he shouldn't have put **any** in, in the first place!

So I compromised and kneeled down on the cold wooden flooring, my head bowed respectfully as he turned to see why I hadn't answered.

"Ah… My Nezumi, forever the peace maker…" He whispered as he walked towards me. "Never saying anything bad against anyone, never rebuking those who have wronged you. Do you _realise_ how unbearably BORING that makes a person like you?"

'_You're a boring person…'_

'…_IF YOU JUST DISSAPEARED NO ONE WOULD CARE! '_

'_NO ONE LIKES YOU!'_

"I… n… not _everyone_ thinks that I… that I'm boring… some people don't…" I was only trying to convince myself of it, but Akito heard me, and naturally believed I was rebuking his condemnation... something that Akito had never taken well.

"YES THEY DO YUKI!" Akito slammed his fist into my face and hit me, causing me to skid violently across the well-polished floor, crashing painfully into the wall with the fallen angel standing over me, a smirk on his face as I watched him lick the blood – _my_ blood – off his fingers, in horror. "What? Are you Jealous? Do _you_ want to taste your… _delicious_ blood as well? Well, I'm only _too_ happy to oblige…"

I never expected what happened next… even though I probably SHOULD have…

So I didn't turn away, didn't dodge, didn't duck as he came into hit me, square on in the mouth once more, causing blood to well up in my mouth as the inside of my lip split as well as the outside.

"See? Now you can taste it as well…" He smiled as my face screwed up in pain for a moment, struggling between placing my teenage 'mask' back on and becoming the little boy whom he constantly tortured when we were both younger. "You need to learn, little Yuki, that life isn't fair; that the humans out there don't care about you. Even if they smile whenever they talk to you, and say they want to be like you, or **with** you, they don't mean it. They don't want to be with a _filthy_ little cry-baby like you who can't even manage a night here without becoming the weakling that you are, your facade completely annihilated. You're just a dirty rodent, one who doesn't even deserve to **live**!"

As he spoke I could hear him moving away from me, and the clicking of a padlock, as he pulled something out of a western-styled briefcase… something long, and thin, and _rope_ like…

NO! Please, oh god no…

*crack*

As the whips force slammed into me ferociously I felt my body skid back into the corner I was in, and my legs automatically come up into that position that they so often had in the past – the foetal position that didn't really protect me, but made me feel more secure… as if I could _choose_ what parts of me were injured… it made me feel as if I had a little control over my fate… even though I never really would...

"You're **still** not listening, are you?" His voice had turned softer, more patronising, as if he were telling off a small child who didn't understand… and in a way, I guess that was what I was… a small insignificant child staring at the face of god after betraying him… Looking up at him, and seeing the fire blazing in his eyes... it's like the apocalypse, the end of all happiness...

"You are not remembering… You _need_ to remember… otherwise you will never escape from being punished… Do you remember what I told you all those years ago…?" He looked down on me, and I knew that I HAD to answer him this time… or risk further pain…

"…_You do remember what I have been telling you Yuki… don't you…?"_

Of _course_ I remembered… how could I forget?

"… _Yuki, you do remember what this world is…"_

He would tell me **every day**… and I couldn't ever shut his voice out… his tones resonated through my very soul, shimmering dangerously through all that made me…

"… _Remember that this world is a __**cruel dark**__ place…"_

No… It wasn't… it couldn't be…

"… _Your whole life will be lived in that darkness Yuki…"_

But… I had spent some time in the light… it hadn't all been darkness… had it?

"_Hope… Possibility… those concepts don't apply to __**you**__…"_

Why not…? Am… am I really that much of a freak…

"… _Your fate is to stay on that pitch dark road until you __**die**__…"_

I… I don't want to though… Why can't I leave that path…?

Why am I suffocating…?

"… _Don't get any ideas Yuki… or think 'I will be saved someday'…"_

But hadn't I already been saved…? Or was it all just an illusion…?

"Yes… I do…" I couldn't look at him anymore – I was terrified, but still he lifted my head up to look into my eyes, searching them harshly, throwing my thoughts into turmoil.

"Good. If you remember then there is a little less teaching for me to do… but you still need it imprinted into you… do you understand…?" He smiled maliciously then, and I shivered in fear.

"What…? Please… Akito… _please_… stop…"

"Aww Yuki, my poor little Yuki… are you _scared_…?" I sat there in that room again, a little child who was terrified of the dark… I could feel Akito's frail, cold fingers stroke my face again, capturing the blood on them again, lingering just long enough to send a shiver down my spine… "You _know_ it's only **your** fault that this is happening… don't you…? You _know_ that I wouldn't be like this if you only did as I said, and stopped GOING AGAINST ME!"

The torments seemed to last an eternity before he finally paused, panting heavily, and he smirked down triumphantly at me.

"There, there, my little Nezumi, don't cry…" As he spoke my hand flew up to my cheeks. Had I really been crying…? Apparently so…" Do not fear about being alone… sure, the others will leave you, but **I** never will…"

That made me cry out even more – how could he call a life seeing only one person, a person you _feared_ as 'not alone'? If being alone was having a life without Akito, then I would gladly choose to be 'alone' for all of my life – _gladly_…

"No! A… Akito… p… please stop… y…"

I could feel the tingling sensation on my back before I fully comprehended what was happening – that the blooded rope slashing against what was left of my cloths and my bare flesh wasn't from a nightmare… at least not one that I could wake from and think of as a dream – because I was already awake… and this wasn't a dream – it was a reality, and there was nothing I could do to stop what was happening…

"AKITO, OPEN THE DOOR!" We both paused for a moment, frozen in time, as someone tried to open the locked door, and, once they realised that they couldn't, began pounding upon it frantically. But the voices… one I could unmistakeably identify as Hatori's… but the _other_ one… W-was it _Niisan's_?

"AKITO!"

Either way, it didn't matter, as, alas, Akito turned away from the sounds smirking maliciously, and as the pounding of the rope resumed I forgot about the voices who had been trying to rescue me, all sound blocked out behind the terror…

I closed of my ears to the words that Akito whispered around me, but it didn't stop them being etched upon my soul, remaining there for all eternity, for everyone to see. I had grown a mask over the years I had been away from Akito's cruel gaze… but it didn't matter now. You would have to be _blind_ not to notice what I was like.

So I lay there, unmoving as Akito tortured me, trying to keep my mind off the horrendous things that were happening to me… and failing dismally…

Then, as I thought I was about to collapse from exhaustion and the pain, he stopped, and crouched down threateningly next to me.

"Don't worry, my precious little Nezumi… I won't let you be corrupted anymore… I'll make sure that you come back _**home**_…"

After all the pain I had been forced to suffer through, it was only **after** he left the room that I allowed myself the small bliss of nothingness, of collapsing into a world that surely was better than _this_ one…

… But the fates wouldn't even let me stay in _that_ state for long.

* * *

**Okay, here we've finally met up to the point where chapter one began, and continued with that – I hope you enjoyed. There will still be darkness, however s this is a healing fiction, it should go a little lighter... I hope xD**

**Kyae**


	5. Kotonashi?

**24.07.2010, edited 03.10.2010**

Chapter 5 – Kotonashi?

(Safe?)

**Sunday 16th October 2011**

**12:19 am**

"_Don't worry, my precious little Nezumi… I won't let you be corrupted anymore… I'll make sure that you come back __**home**__…"_

_After all the pain I had been forced to suffer through, it was only __**after**__ he left the room that I allowed myself the small bliss of nothingness, of collapsing into a world that surely was better than __**this**__ one…_

… _But the fates wouldn't even let me stay in __**that**__ state for long._

* * *

As I opened my eyes I realised something; I was still in that room… and **he** was there…

"Yuki…?" I could hear his voice wrap around me, trying to scare me… and it was working… I couldn't help but let my tremors overtake me; I couldn't stop shaking with fear… "Yuki… are you alright…?"

"Leave me alone…" I knew it wouldn't change his mind… but I had to try; _anything_ to get him to stop… "P… please… l… leave me…"

"Yuki…" I could hear another voice; my brothers. What was Akito doing? Why was he messing around with me like this? Couldn't he just leave me alone now? "Akito's not here anymore… You can look up…"

'_Lies_' a voice inside me screamed… and I remembered his words from before; of _course_ it was Akito trying to trick me…

_-"Why won't you look up my Yuki when I am speaking to you? I want to see your beautiful amethyst eyes…"-_

He… he wanted to trick me, to make me his…

"NO! L… leave me alone!" Why couldn't I stop shaking? Why couldn't I demand this one thing, and have them leave me alone…? I was already in so much pain…

"Yuki…" A hand reached out to me, touching my shoulder…

_-"It's _such _a pity that you haven't learned from the mistakes in your past Yuki… I suppose I'll just have to __**tame**__ you again…" He grabbed my shoulder roughly and caressed my skin gently, before digging in his nails, slicing though everything in their path, flesh, cloth or bone… "And you know how much I __**love**__ to keep you in your pitiful place now… don't you…?"_

"_Get away from me Akito!" I awaited the punishment that would come from my words obediently – now those words had passed my lips there was no going back, and __**no**__ time for pleas… pleas which would be sure to fail…-_

I flinched back from hand, trying to get away from Akito… but I was already in the corner; there was no way for me to go back any more; no way for me to fight back…

Then I felt something in my arm, something familiar, but not from this room… it was one of those things from the 'safe' room…

Hatori was here; just like he had promised me before… but why had he waited so long before helping me…?

Then the world went blank again… but at least _this_ time I knew that I was safe… for now…

* * *

**Sunday 16****th**** October 2011**

**07:30 am**

My dreams offered me no respite from the terrors of that night; all I saw were continuous flashbacks of the entire incident…

Even when I woke up I couldn't help but scream out of sheer terror because of what had happened...

"Yuki…?" A voice called out, startled by my scream. I strained my eyes to focus on the person whose voice I heard... silver… long silver hair… but the face was still fuzzy… and the eyes were black… like Akito's…

"Y… yes…?" I couldn't help but stutter; even though I _knew_ that whoever was talking to me wasn't Akito… I just couldn't help it… I was terrified to be in the presence of _anyone_ at that moment…

Even the slightest noise or movement caused me to flinch away... It was pathetic...

**I **was pathetic.

"Are you alright…?" My brothers concerned voice began to soothe me slightly, calming down my terrors and letting me relax a little as he went to sit on the chair next to my bed, watching me carefully with his now gold eyes…

'This is no illusion... no mirage... I'm _actually _safe...' I realised as I forced myself to relax

"Y… yes… I… I'm fine…" I tried to get out; I really didn't want anyone to worry about me; it really wasn't fair on them to have to always be concerned about me as well as themselves… "I… I'll be fine…"

He didn't rebuke what I said; he didn't openly say that he knew I was lying; he didn't try to get me to admit what happened. In that room at that moment he was a real brother and just sat there with me, comforting me and accepting my lie… for now at least…

_Slam_.

I jumped in shock as the door slammed open, and I had to force myself not to cower under the bed. I had to be logical, I told myself. If it was Akito he wouldn't just come into the room making a commotion; he would wait until everyone else was gone, then come in… wouldn't he…?

"Yuki… what happened to you…? Are you alright…?" A new voice and face entered my eyesight; Haru. What was _he _doing here? To see me, I realised later, but at that moment I was still catching my breath from the shock I had encountered from the slamming of the door.

"Hatsuharu would you mind refraining from making so much noise? We are trying to keep Yuki's condition a _secret_ from the gossipers…" Hatori reprimanded Haru disapprovingly, sitting at his desk with some medicines, pouring out the required doses.

"…Sorry…" Replied the white Haru, looking a little bit ashamed before turning back to me, whispering; "Yuki-kun… what are you doing here like this…? Senseiagreed to keep you away from Akito… he agreed to keep you safe… He _promised_…"

"Yeah, well he decided that his loyalties lay elsewhere when it came to the moment of truth." Hatori murmured to himself, but no one other than me heard what he said.

"I… I was summoned… Shigure never knew… if he had… maybe he would have tried to stop me… maybe not… we'll never know I suppose…" I spoke over Hatori so that they wouldn't hear him and question about what he meant... I couldn't deal with people knowing about **that** betrayal... not now after all this...

But why on earth was I protecting Shigure? He betrayed me… Despite my not wanting them to know, shouldn't I be telling the world...?

But something inside me was telling me to protect him… no matter what he had done…

So I didn't tell anyone about what he had done to get me here… I doubt they would even believe it if Hatori didn't vouch for my tale… Shigure 'wasn't like that', after all...

"I'm sorry Yuki…" Haru came over to me and sat on the other side of my bed, placing his hand on one of my, much smaller ones. "I know I shouldn't bother you while you are like this… but are you _really_ okay…? I know you're saying that you are… but you may just be sparing our feelings…"

I couldn't look at him – I was too ashamed… He was always so kind, so forgiving… but would he still be able to forgive me after what had happened to me in that room…? What I had been forced to-…

"Yuki…?" His calm voice snapped me out of my morbid thoughts and helped me start thinking straight. I couldn't let them know about all that had happened… they would hate me…

"I… I'm fine Haru…" I tried to smile at him, but I think the product from it was weak… weak enough that he doubted what I said at least… I mean, I couldn't even recognise my own voice as I spoke… it was so _frail_…

"A… are you sure Yuki…? You know a lot of people are worried about you…" His voice was laced with concern… but it just made me feel worse about what had happened…

"D… Do Honda-san and Shigure and the... cat know what has happened…?" I asked timidly, worried that Tohru would be fretting about where I was…

"I believe Shigure has told them both that you are away for a while to do with 'family matters'…" Hatori told me bitterly, obviously _still_ annoyed about the method that he used to get me here… and the betrayal of trust that had occurred. "They won't worry for a while if you are absent… but that leaves us with the question of what are we going to do with you now…"

"I… I'm not going back." I didn't know where I was going to go, but one thing I knew for certain; after what Shigure had done to me I would take almost any option to get out of his house… I couldn't trust him anymore.

"Why not Yuki-kun?" My brother asked, ignorant as to why I wouldn't want to go back to Shigure's. "Do you want to stay with Ha'ri?"

Stay _here_…?

As in, _stay in the main estate_…?

I… I couldn't do that either…

I couldn't stay in a place where Akito could so easily get to me…

"No!" I shouted out, before realising that I could have insulted Hatori, the one who had found me in the darkness. "I… I don't want to be here… not while _he_ could come at anytime without anyone stopping him… He… he could come in and carry off where he left off… he could…"

I couldn't continue as tears were forming in my eyes. I knew it was a hopeless situation. Either I went back to Shigure's house and I was teased mercilessly by the writer behind Tohru and Kyo's backs or I stayed here with the threat of Akito constantly looming over me…

But in the end the decision wasn't mine to make.

"Ayame, he needs to stay here for the night, so I can monitor his condition. Either way, he will not be returning to Shigure's house for a while… at least until his more obvious injuries have dies down… it would cause too much of a commotion at his school and with Honda-kun… He **will** stay at mine for now; it should be what's best for him."

_At least I'm not at Shigure's…_ then again; this was one of the situations I'd rather **not** have as an alternative…

"Come on Haru, Ayame, leave Yuki alone for a while, I'm sure he needs rest…" Hatori shooed them out of his office just in time, for as soon as they left I burst into tears.

I _never _cried unless I was alone… but when I was alone, it was always in that room…

And in that room I was never _truly_ alone…

"Hello Yuki…" A voice called from the darkness, sending a shiver down my spine.

* * *

**Okay... there **is** more darkness xD**


	6. Kubiwa

**02.08.2009, edited 04.10.2010**

Chapter 6 – Kubiwa

(Chocker)

**Sunday 16****th**** October 2011**

**07:37 am**

_I __**never**__ cried unless I was alone… but when I was alone, it was always in that room…_

_And in that room I was never __**truly**__ alone…_

"_Hello Yuki…" A voice called from the darkness, sending a shiver down my spine._

* * *

That voice…

It was a voice that always sent shivers down my spine… it was a voice that took me to a dark place and kept me caged there…

The place where all my nightmares were staged…

And that voice was the voice of my tormentor…

… My Jailor…

… My god…

… And my greatest fear…

I had always lived under Akito's shadow, ever since I was a child… ever since I had been brought to live with Akito as a naive six-year-old…

Those subsequent six years I had spent under his thumb had been a living nightmare for me… it had been a literal torture for me, always having to follow his every whim… always having to play the part of his beloved _pet_…

And then Shigure had offered to take me in… it had been like a dream come true… it was _freedom_!

But I should have known not to trust the loyal dog… I should have _known_ that he would betray me and let Akito take me back…

Of course he would always only really be loyal to his god...

I should have known…

"Are you that scared of me that you cry at the mere sound of my voice Yuki…?" I could hear Akito move towards me in the bed and I froze where I was lying there, petrified and terrified of what would happen… of what would happen _again_… "Are you really _that_ scared of me…?"

The tone of his voice scared me even more than the words he was saying this time – his voice was strange… _husky_ as he came over to me and stood next to me, wrapping his hand in my hair gently before moving his lips to my ear…

"_Good_!" He whispered loudly in my ear, using the hair he had grabbed to force me up into a sitting position, almost pushing me out of the small bed completely. "It seems that you're _finally_ beginning to learn some respect… it seems these occasional lessons are beginning to have effect…"

My eyes widened at that – did it mean that he wanted to have me here _permanently_…? To keep me under his eye…?

I could feel my breath speeding up, my asthma taking over, my body weakening at that thought – I couldn't bear to live here… I just _couldn't_ anymore…

The experience had almost destroyed me _completely_ as a child, and even now I was only just recovering, with the help of the other Sohma's and Honda-san…

If I went back to Akito now… I don't know how long my heart would be able to take the strain of his force… I don't know how long I would be able to take what he does to me before I chose to stop the pain myself…

Then again, the alternative was almost as bad… because then I'd have to return to that house, and hide the pain I was experiencing at this moment from Tohru and Kyo… and Shigure. I would have to especially have to hide my pain and fear from him. All I could do was be civil and wear the mask that I continuously wore at that school I went to… And then the others would notice…

… And I couldn't accept their _pity_! I didn't want pity – I wanted freedom!

But that would never happen…

… And both Akito and I knew it.

"Ha!" I could feel him smirk from behind me as he giggled to himself… it wasn't a nice laugh… and it made me feel… _dirty_… "Hehe… my poor little Nezumi thinks I'm going to drag him back here! Hehe…"

Why was he talking like that? He was _really_ freaking me out now… I could feel my pulse speeding up uncontrollably…

"… Well… your master is a kind master my pretty Yuki…" He muttered, leaning backwards and turning me around to look into his eyes…

… His cold, black eyes…

… His hard, emotionless eyes…

… His terrifyingly powerful eyes…

"… I believe you will remember _this_ lesson for a while now, won't you?" He was talking directly to me now, and I knew from that keen power-hungry glare in his eyes that he wanted me to answer, to give him that power he craved…

… And I could do nothing less than obey him…

So I nodded hesitatingly, trying to respond has he wanted me to… and I didn't even need to pretend, or act… the fear that coursed through my veins was real – no doubt about _that_…

"Good, my precious Nezumi…" He began stroking my cheek lovingly, his eyes gaining that gleam of malice that showed that he was happy with what was going to happen… and if _he_ was happy with the decision… then it was almost guaranteed that I _wouldn't_ be comfortable with it. "… So I'll be kind today, just for _you_… I'll let you return to Shigure's house, to be with that monster, my _loyal_ mutt and that Honda girl, _if_ you behave and visit me once in a while… you can stay there… _for now_…"

I closed my eyes as he spoke, trying to hide the pain in my soul… he wasn't going to choose between the two painful alternatives… he was going to force me through _both_ of them…

And render me utterly helpless…

"I understand Akito-sama…" I replied dutifully to him, all emotion gone from my voice now I knew my fate. "I will be… dutiful…"

I almost felt as if I was betraying _myself_ as I spoke; and I suppose in a way I was… whenever I spoke like that, and said those things I _was_ giving away my rights and benefits as a human… but even if I didn't willingly say those words, I would still not have a free will…

… So what was the point?

"Now all the talking is done little Yuki…" Akito moved closer to me again, his black orbs bearing into my violet ones, and I could feel my heart beating quickly, _fearfully_ as he placed his hand on my chest and felt the pounding of the organ (the heart) for himself…

"Please… not now…" I whimpered, embarrassment fuelling my refusal as well as fear. "The others… Hatori… Haru… they'll hear…"

He just smirked at that, giggling to himself.

"They can't do anything if I say they can't little Yuki, surely you realise that… Ah well! I suppose I'll have plenty of time to make up for this when you visit… won't I?"

He came closer to me, so close I could have sworn we were touching… and then he moved away, standing up abruptly and walking to the door, opening it and shouting out.

"Hatori! Get in here and sort Yuki out!" He called into the office, surprising a Hatori who had evidently not realised that Akito had been in there. "I want him cleaned up before he's returned to that mutt's house! And put that _you-know-what _on him – I want to make sure that he remembers me!"

"Yes Akito-san." Hatori sighed slightly as he came in with his briefcase, looking me over quickly to check for any fresh injuries before going on with the practice of replacing the bandages. I knew for a fact that Hatori wasn't squeamish, but I still saw him flinch as he replaced the old bandages on me.

"Very well…" Akito murmured as he watched Hatori repair the damage he had inflicted upon me. "Just make sure it works!"

As soon as Akito had slammed the door shut and left I turned fearfully to Hatori, concerned about what Akito had ordered for me to have on…

"W… what does A… Akito want p… put on m… me…?" I couldn't help but let the fear escape into my words – after my entire mind was reeling from the grotesque possibilities…

"Nothing like that." Hatori stated, reading my mind accurately. "It's a tracking device."

"W… what does he want that in for…?"

"He seems to think you won't return when he wants you to… he underestimates your fear I suppose…" He didn't look at me as he pulled out a leather strap from his bag.

"That's not a tracker though…" My mind was reeling as I realised what it was.

A chocker.

"Stay still, and don't take it off. Akito will know if you do – it's programmed by your body heat." He stated as he tied the leather… chocker around my neck firmly, but not unbearably so. "Shigure will be here in the morning to collect you. You will tell the others that nothing happened, as to not… excite them… Those are Akito's orders… I…"

Hatori looked at me then, and I could see his eyes were full of so many emotions that I had never seen in them before… concern, care… and _fear_… he was actually _frightened_ about what would happen to me…

But, strangely enough, I wasn't frightened myself…

… At least not at the moment…

Because I was resigned now to the fact of what my existence would be – I would forever be in this position and nothing I did would change it.

It didn't mean I wouldn't try though…


	7. Kitaku

**05.08.2009, edited 04.10.2010**

Chapter 7 – Kitaku

(Returning home)

**Monday 17****th**** October 2011**

**05:23 pm**

_Because I was resigned now to the fact of what my existence would be – I would forever be in this position and nothing I did would change it._

_It didn't mean I wouldn't try though…_

* * *

The next day, once I had finally healed enough to leave, I sat in Hatori's office, a turtle-neck jumper on and a suitcase by my feet – after all; if it didn't look like I had _really_ been here for the weekend the cat and Honda-san would start asking questions – which would be annoying from him, and would just make me feel bad from Honda-san's constant worrying…

Then there was also the fact of my new… accessory.

To tell you the truth – I was utterly humiliated by it… humiliated… and terrified.

If _anyone_ saw it… especially that stupid cat then I'd never live it down…

So Hatori, not being able to do anything else, had given me a suitcase full of clothing that would hide it… and since Akito had not openly objected to it, I agreed.

… But of course I still couldn't rely on Akito; he might have still told Shigure… and if Shigure knew… well let's just say the _entire family_ would know by now…

"Yuki, are you ready now?" Hatori's deep voice snapped me out of my depressing thoughts as he came into his office to grab some papers. "I've spoken to Shigure. I'll take you back to his house."

"Thanks…" My grateful words were barely audible, but I knew Hatori had heard them; he always did. And I _was_ grateful that Shigure wasn't coming to pick me up… I don't think I would manage to survive a ten minute drive in the same car as him… then again I might not even be able to live in the same house for long either. "Does he… does he know…?"

I couldn't finish my sentence – I was too ashamed…

"No. I haven't told him… and it is not in Akito's plans to tell him… the only way he'll find out is through Akito… or if you let him see it. Now come on, we need to get to the car. Honda-kun is expecting you for dinner after all."

"Yes Hatori-san…" I whispered as I followed Hatori out of the house to the waiting car – it was black and to me seemed like a funeral car – and I suppose in a way it _was_ a funeral car…

The entire journey was in silence, both Hatori and I lost in our own thoughts as we travelled through the Sohma owned woods to the place that until last week I had called home – now I could scarcely bare to give the place a glance, I was shaking so much. At least in the main house, in Hatori's home I had felt somewhat relaxed… now I was just a nervous wreck.

_Come on now Yuki…_ I thought to myself, trying to give myself some courage. _It's just going to be like before, with the annoying cat picking fights everyday and Honda-san making us okay again… All you have to do is be like you were before she came… wear that mask you do at school and don't give anything away… _then_ everything will be okay… okay?_

So at least by the time I opened the car door and grabbed the suitcase I felt somewhat ready to deal with what would happen.

"Yuki…" Hatori told me as he got back into the car. "Promise me you won't do anything… foolish while you're here… it'll only make things worse for you…"

What else could I do but promise him that? I knew anyway that Akito would be watching for me to run away, and would have Shigure following my every move while at that house, so what was the point?

"Yes Hatori… I promise…" I whispered before turning my back to him and walking up to that house where I had been betrayed in.

_I wonder what's happened since I've been gone…_ I thought to myself as I opened the door to find the room empty. _Do you think they've missed me?_

I didn't even bother to shout to say I was here – better not to attract attention to myself after all…

So it was just typical that I couldn't even take a step into the house before _everyone_ knew that I was there.

The first to see me was the cat.

"HOW DARE YOU SKIP OUT ON OUR FIGHT YOU DAMN RAT!" I could hear him shout from the top of the stairs.

Okay, that meant escaping up the stairs was a definite no-go area now… pity…

"Go away you _baka neko_." I sneered at him, hoping he thought I was being just as arrogant as usual… after all I didn't want him thinking I was… _weaker_ than I usually was… not that I still couldn't beat him.

The rat was _born_ to beat the cat…

… Just like the rat was born to forever be god's favourite…

… And to forever be by god's side…

"_Fine_!" He spat at me, turning to go back up to his room, but then he noticed something, and turned back to facing me. "What on _earth _are you wearing you damn rat? It looks like you're a snob or summit!"

I knew it would only be time until he'd realise there was something was wrong with what I was wearing… but thankfully I didn't have to explain myself _this_ time…

"Sohma-kun! You're back!" I heard Tohru's voice from the kitchen squeal in delight as she came running up to me, as if to hug me.

No. That couldn't happen.

If I transformed the collar/chocker thing would still stay on me…

… And they'd all know about it…

… There _was_ also the fact that even if they didn't realise the meaning of the chocker Kyo would still tease me mercilessly about the altogether _girlishness_ of the chocker.

Damn Akito, couldn't have chosen something more… I dunno… _discrete_?

But even then I knew that even if Akito _could_ have put the tracker on something less humiliating he wouldn't have – having me wear a 'collar' would just seem like part of the punishment to him… and to me as well…

So I sidestepped out of the embrace discreetly, putting on my mask as I smiled at Tohru.

"Yes I am Honda-san… have you been okay while I've been gone? I hope that the stupid cat and Shigure haven't been giving you too much trouble…"

"No, no, no! They haven't! It's been fine…" Tohru hastily began to reassure me before…

"What did you just call me you damn rat?" Kyo had returned now, all fury in his eyes.

"Weren't you listening stupid? I called you a _Stupid. Cat_." I smirked at him, almost forgetting everything that had happened while I'd been away.

_Almost_.

"What is that shouting over there?" Shigure's voice came floating through the house, instantly causing me to tense in fear. "Is Yuki-kun back now?"

I couldn't speak – I didn't _want_ to speak to him.

So I suppose it was lucky that there were others who _were_ willing to speak for me…

"Yes Shigure-san! He arrived back a few minutes ago!" Tohru replied happily, going back into the kitchen to sort out our dinner. "Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, Shigure-san? Dinner will be ready in a moment… do you want to go in and sit down? That's if you want to…"

"Why would I want to miss one of your delicious home-made meals Tohru-kun?" Shigure asked gaily, coming down the stairs and going into the dining room. "Oh and Yuki-kun! You simply _have _to tell us everything that happened at the main house!"

Damn Shigure…

"Yeah!" The stupid cat joined in, obviously sensing my discomfort over the subject. "We want to hear _all about it_…"

*Kick*

"Ow what was that for you stupid rat?" Kyo cussed as I left him on the floor, encased between two halves of a table belonging to Shigure which I was _not_ going to pay the damages for.

"Being you." I replied before slamming the door after me and sitting down.

Dinner went by like normal… well, as normal as it ever could in this household…

Until desert…

"So Yuki-kun…" Shigure smirked to himself as he spoke to me, the other two oblivious to his moods, as always… "How _was_ your time at the main house? What did _dear_ Akito-sama want this time?"

"_This_ time…?" Tohru muttered to herself, now worried.

"Nothing Shigure." I replied calmly, focussing on eating my dinner and _not_ on the three pairs of eyes looking at me. "Akito-sama just wanted to see how school was progressing… he was checking up on all the younger Juunishi as well…"

Okay, a lie but what could _they_ do about it?

"Liar!" The stupid cat tried to show me up… and for a moment I thought he really _had _seen through my act… until he carried on talking… "Then why didn't he call for me as well?"

Stupid boy...

'Hmm… why ever would he not include the cat?

Let me think…'

… Well, that's probably what I'd be thinking if this conversation was happening _before_ I had been scarred by Akito.

"Because you are not part of the Juunishi." I stated simply, not looking at him.

Because I was jealous – jealous because he _wasn't _part of the Juunishi.

If only I had been born the cat, then I wouldn't have to suffer through Akito's torments…

If only…

"I'm not hungry Honda-san…" I muttered as I got up and left the room, no longer in the mood to pretend. All I wanted to do was curl up in the corner of my room and forget all of this… but I knew that they wouldn't let me do that… not the thoughts inside my head, and not my dreams…

So I was resigned to just sitting there in my room, in the middle of my bed next to a light, making sure that I could see everything, so that the shadows couldn't come out at night and consume me…

Then the door opened and someone came into the room, leaning against the doorframe…

… Just like _he_ had done…

I couldn't help my natural instincts; I couldn't help but curl up inside myself even more…

"So 'nothing' left you like this then Yuki?" His arrogant voice cut through me, and I couldn't help but be remembered of that room, even though we were miles away, and the person talking to me wasn't Akito…

Why was I always so… so _pathetic_?

* * *

**Heehee – more angst xD. This is the first time reading through it in a while... I wonder if I should write a more angsty version of it... a darkerer one :P**


	8. Junsei onnen

**11.08.2010, edited 05.10.2010**

Chapter 8 – Junsei onnen

(Pure Hatred)

**Monday 17****th**** October 2011**

**06:30 pm**

_I couldn't help my natural instincts; I couldn't help but curl up inside myself even more…_

"_So 'nothing' left you like this then Yuki?" His arrogant voice cut through me, and I couldn't help but be remembered of that room, even though we were miles away, and the person talking to me wasn't Akito…_

_Why was I always so… so _pathetic_?_

* * *

"Shut up…" I muttered, not knowing the difference between the two rooms now… "Just leave me alone… please…"

I tried to turn away, to get away from the irritating voice, but it just wouldn't go away.

"_Please_?" His tone was surprised, and it instantly snapped me out of my morbid thoughts as the tones turned to sneering. "The great 'prince' Yuki is saying… please?"

Why did I have to do that?

I couldn't help but cringe slightly as I got up and walked towards him, fully preparing to kick him out of my room, literally of course.

But then I remembered about the bandages…

… The bandages that were soaked with my blood…

… The blood that had soaked through to my outer clothing…

"What happened?" The smug cat smirked, his eyes trailing across the blood. "Did the lickle prince have a boo boos?"

He was mocking me.

That idiot cat was _mocking_ me even though he knew nothing of what had happened.

"Not as much of one as you'll have." I glared at him, pure hatred in my eyes. Yes, I may wear a mask at times to hide my emotions from others, but there was only so much I could take before I snapped… wouldn't anyone else feel the same…?

"Bring it on… or don't you want to damage your pedicure?" He smirked back, looking at my nails, which, unfortunately, always remained perfect, never seeming to grow or chip...

That did it.

*Insert Yuki's trademark high kick*

I knew the only way to shut him up was to beat him… so I beat him with all my power, kicking him across the hall and into Shigure's room that was opposite mine.

"I _will_ find out what you're hiding you damn rat – and then I'll _never_ let you live it down!" He snarled as the pathetic cat picked himself up and tried to straighten up in a dignified manner… and failed _miserably_.

I didn't even bother to give him a response as I slammed the door in his face, shutting it firmly before sliding down exhausted, letting my emotions unwind as I let the tears caught in my eyes fall.

Why did it _always_ have to be so hard? Why did I always have to go around masquerading as the walking enigma?

Couldn't I just let my emotions show like _normal_ people?

But I knew the answer to that before I even asked the question.

Because it had been drilled into me from the moment I was born.

I was six, just six when we first met and he began to speak those cruel, dark words to me…

* * *

_I was terrified that first day I went to the room – because I didn't know what to expect. Later it was fear because I __**did**__ know what to expect of my 'trips' there… as he so put them._

_That dark, foreboding room that seemed to consume everything..._

_I hadn't even done anything wrong, well, in my opinion. All I had done was mention a friend from school… I just asked if I could go to their house for the night… I was __**six**__, how was I supposed to know what his reaction would be?_

_He had hit me, slamming me across the room before grabbing me, and locking me in here…_

… _And the night was drawing in, enclosing the room with a cold darkness that seemed only to grow._

_I had never realised that I was afraid of the darkness until that moment… I had never realised how lonely it could be to stand in the darkness…_

… _How terrifying…_

_And he left me alone there through the night, my mind envisioning horrific monsters and demons… imagining that they were going to come after me…_

_I was petrified – I couldn't move from my corner in fear as I wrapped my arms around me protectively and lowered my head to my knees to hide from them._

_And he left me like that until midnight, the darkest hour of the winter solstice – when he came to actually deal out the 'punishment' for being… what was the word…? Disobedient._

_But during the night I had transformed, too weak to even keep myself human…_

_So he came in to see a pitiful rat, huddled in the corner, tail curled around its body._

"_You're pathetic, you know that Yuki?" He sneered as he stood at the doors, waiting for me to transform back._

_He didn't hesitate; as soon as the smoke had cleared from my transformation he grabbed my hair and slapped me, right across the face, sending me into the corner... and away from the clothes that would protect me..._

"_Why do you always have to disobey me Yuki…?" He asked, coming closer to see me shudder away before stepping back, an evil grin on his face – I knew he had power over me, that he could do anything that he wanted to do to me and I wouldn't, _couldn't_ fight back… and the most terrifying part was that he knew that too, and would use it against me. "Why can't you just be __**obedient**__ for once my precious little Nezumi…?"_

_What could one say as an answer to _that_?_

_Because I didn't know the answer… and I knew I never would._

_I suppose it was to do with my nature, my intense longing to be free… and Akito's obsession with keeping me chained to his side._

_Because I couldn't bear to be under his young thumb – I was constantly scared that I would be destroyed by his ways._

_And that was only what I was thinking the first time I went into that room._

_After time, my hatred towards him, and myself only grew more intense._

"_Can't you answer Nezumi?" His voice always grew sharper when I didn't answer him… but I couldn't help but freeze up… "Is it because you realise where you've gone wrong…?"_

_Of course I nodded to that – _anything_ to get out of the pain I was sure to follow._

_Naturally he didn't leave it at that… although I didn't know how much that was the wrong answer… at least to him… Because he _wanted_ me not to reply… he actually wanted to 'educate' me on life… and in his opinion it was better if I actually did something to spur him on… so he could just say it was to do with my insolence…_

_Insolence, in his definition was doing __**anything**__ that didn't please him… anything at all._

"_Don't just nod as if you know what I'm talking about!" He snarled at me, tightening his grip on me. "I want you to MEAN it when you beg for forgiveness and not for them to be empty words!"_

_His eyes softened for a moment then as he came closer, cradling me. He often did that when I was little… I guess a part of me reached out to him when I was young, and he responded automatically… of course, that part vanished when he started torturing me… but at the beginning he did comfort me… even if it was while whispering poisoned words in my ear…_

"_Why are you always rejecting the truth my little rat…?" He crooned, sending shivers down my spine, right into my soul. "Why are you always trying to deny the truth and pretend to be 'normal'? Why are you always trying to abandon me for worthless humans? Why do you choose to go against your god?"_

_As his voice rose threateningly I hid again, but he didn't care, and began to hit me with a stray rope…_

_Over, and over, and over again, until the rope was stained in red, rather that it remaining in its original colour._

"_Come on Yuki… remember what kind of place this is…"_

* * *

I could remember his words cutting through me as if he only spoke them to me yesterday for the first time, rather than almost ten years ago… and they were destroying me… they _always_ destroyed me inside…

* * *

"_Yuki - You must always remember that this world is a cruel, dark place…"_

_Instantly, my hands flew to my hears, pinning them down to block his poison bout, but he realised what I was doing and grabbed my arms, forcing them away from my ears… forcing me to hear his words, completely defenceless from his onslaught._

"_Your whole young innocent life will be lived in that darkness of the Sohma family, Yuki…"_

_That was the first time he said those words to me… and it scared the living daylights out of me._

"_Hope… Possibility… those human concepts don't apply to __**you**__…"_

_Why didn't they apply to me…?_

_Why couldn't I live in the light with those that weren't cursed…?_

_Why was I always forced back into the darkness by my god and master…?_

_Why was I always abandoned to reside in that never ending darkness…?_

"… _Your fate is to stay on that pitch dark road until you __**die**__…" He whispered hoarsely into my ear, smirking into it._

_No…_

_It can't be true…_

_I moved my arms from under my body to around me; trying to wrap myself away from his words, trying to defend myself from what he was telling me…_

… _But I knew it was all in vein; how could anyone block out the voice of 'god'?_

… _How could anyone block out his cruel, dark voice…?_

"… _Don't get any ideas Yuki… or think 'I will be saved someday'…"_

_How could I think anything along those lines anymore? I couldn't ever imagine the possibility of a life with hope… or with a person while I was on this road…_

_Not anymore…_

_Not while I was there…_

… _On this path…_

… _This dark, empty path…_

_Not when he was there with me, forcing my hand, my will, my life..._

* * *

I opened my eyes to see that I had moved into the far corner of my room while I was thinking, and had unconsciously pulled myself into the foetal position again, the only position that gave me the remotest sense of safety, however pitiful it was.

I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't even notice someone had been knocking on my door until it was opened and I was face-to-face with Shigure.

"Yuki-kun are you alright?" He spoke like he normally did, in that joyful voice…

… But his _eyes_…

His eyes told a different story. They were cold, and the spoke out that he didn't care at all about me.

"Do you want a drink?" He smirked, holding out a cup of tea… just like he had done before.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted out, slamming the door and bolting it so no one else could get in – even if they had a key to my room.

Why was life always so unfair?


	9. Manadeshi

**15.08.2010, edited 07.10.2010**

Chapter 9 - Manadeshi

(Teacher's Pet)

**Tuesday 18****th**** October 2011**

**07:30 am**

_His eyes told a different story. They were cold, and the spoke out that he didn't care at all about me._

"_Do you want a drink?" He smirked, holding out a cup of tea… just like he had done before._

"_Leave me alone!" I shouted out, slamming the door and bolting it so no one else could get in – even if they had a key to my room._

_Why was life always so unfair?_

* * *

That first night away from the main house sleep never came to me. All my brain and body would let me do was lie there, in the centre of the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as the events of the weekend washed over me.

However there was one thought that occupied my mind more than any other:

'_How could I be so stupid as to let Shigure trick me like that? Why did I trust him?'_

Because no matter whom else I blamed for what happened, whether it be Shigure for drugging me to drag me to the main house, Hatori for letting me be hurt or even Akito himself for destroying my spirit it didn't change a damn thing. Because in the end it was my own choices that led to this moment, whether I meant them to or not…

… After all it was _my_ fault for getting too close to Honda-san and some of the others at the school – of course Akito would find out that I had developed friendships there…

Friendships were forbidden.

… And so it was only natural that he grew jealous and wanted to 'remind' me of my place…

… It was all my doing this… wasn't it…?

"Yuki-kun!" Honda-san's light voice called from downstairs, pulling me out of my stupor. "Are you coming down for breakfast? Aren't you hungry?"

How could I say 'no' to her? After all, if I refused breakfast, or acted at all out of character then it would be picked up immediately by one of the two men watching me intently – the cat to find out where I had been during the weekend and what had happened… and the mutt… I never knew his motives… I suppose he just wanted to exact his own form of sick continuation to the torture Akito had already put me under, whether on our god's orders or not, I would never know I suppose…

Though I was willing to bet that what he was doing was for his sick amusement, and nothing else.

"I'll be down in a moment Honda-san…" I replied sleepily, before realising that I shouldn't have answered. I was _never_ awake enough to talk at this time of the morning – I wasn't usually even fully awake until we arrived at school!

So I was thankful that Kyo was already in the kitchen and Shigure was in his study, for if they had been in hearing range…

… I dread to think what they would have theorised from my odd behaviour.

My _conscious_ behaviour...

But that lead me to my other big problem; how to conceal the choker within my school uniform without looking suspiciously different from usual… or taking the chocker off at all. The first point would lead to the discovery of it quickly if I failed to conceal it, and the second point… well let's just say Akito would _literally_ kill me if he realised that the choker had left my persona for even a second – after all, he was first and foremost a control freak – even _I_ could see that behind his anger and my fear. And so if I disobeyed him again, he would think of the most painful punishment imaginable…

So what to do…?

I couldn't take the choker off.

I couldn't keep it showing either.

But the obtuse school rules deemed it so that I couldn't wear a man-scarf or anything around my neck to hide it.

The only thing I could wear was my tie…

… So it meant I had to be laughed at by Kyo and wear it fully up, something which I had never done before, and as soon as Akito took the damn thing off I would never do again.

It wasn't that I was keeping it down on purpose... I was just forever hopeless at such tasks, and so it was just easier to wear it slightly looser, and yet still formally.

"Is the sissy boy being a 'goody-goody two shoes' now?" Were the words he decided to greet me with as I sat down (elegantly) at the table to eat my breakfast, and daintily ignored his insults to the best of my ability, what was left of my patience trying to force its way out of my mind so that I could destroy him.

"Aren't you going to answer me you damn rat?" He continued as I grabbed my bag and began to make my way to school, Honda-san following slightly behind me, looking nervously between the two of us as we walked through the woods. I tried to ignore him, for the sake of my secret I really did, but there had always been things that made me snap, even if I didn't usually let them be seen.

And he said a thing that would guarantee to make me 'snap'… even if he didn't know it at the time… even if he didn't really know the reason now…

"Are you trying to be a teacher's pet now rat boy as well as Akito's little plaything?" He snarled at me loudly…

… In the middle of the school entrance…

… Where anyone and everyone could hear him.

It was that that made me snap.

He knew nothing, _nothing_ about my condition… about my position in this family. All he was going off on were rumours… and now he had made them become even greater than before – because everyone had heard.

'_What was that Sohma boy saying to Yuki-kun?'_

'_How _dare _he say something so cruel to our prince!'_

'_But what did he mean by it? Who's this "Akito"?'_

'_Why did he compare Sohma-kun to a rat? Rats are filthy things where as Sohma-kun is the image of perfection!'_

I could hear the whispering all around me, and him, that damn cat smirking at me.

So I let loose.

I never fought with him in public – I suppose I was worried that someone would tell the main house and I would be punished. But at that moment I just didn't care.

So I kicked him elegantly, and watched his body crumple as he flew out of the school and onto the street outside – to the entire school body's shock. I suppose they didn't think their 'prince' was so strong. Well there are a _lot_ of things that those people didn't know about me – and I was going to keep it like that as long as I could.

"Kyo." I looked down on him, straight into his eyes, and I knew in that one moment he was scared… scared of _**me**_. "Don't talk about things you have no knowledge of. _Ever_."

It was only as I walked away from him and Honda-san that I realised what I had done.

How cruel I'd been.

How like _Akito_ I had been.

I would have ruin away instantly and gone and cried, or hurt myself had I not been in the classroom by then, with the Sensei rattling on about different lessons and such, and the droning questions as to why I hadn't been in school on Friday and Monday.

Kyo hadn't turned up though – which was a plus.

But I was feeling frustrated – and scared – which _wasn't_ a good thing

"Sohma-kun what's wrong?" The sensei barked at me, startling me out of my thoughts. "Why are you not paying attention?"

"I…" My mind scrambled quickly to find an excuse, but in the end I decided to settle for the truth... or at least _part _of it. "I haven't had much sleep recently… there's been a lot going on…"

_Yeah, like me being beaten to a pulp by the head of my family and a person who is possessed by god's spirit._

_Like me being reminded of that fact constantly by the person who's _supposed _to be my legal guardian – a person who is supposed to CARE about me for god's sake!_

_Like being sold to the head of my family to be his human punch bag and play thing by parents who just wanted to get as much money and power in the family as possible – no matter what happened to the means of their power, as long as the power was kept._

"Ah yes!" She murmured agreeing, which shocked me more than everyone else in the class. "Now I think about it I remember that kind doctor of yours… Hatori Sohma-sensei calling up last night… Class get back to work!"

She then began to talk more quietly to me – so that only I could hear her words.

"Yes, he said something of the same lines… something about an incident in the family that wasn't pleasant… He said if you were showing any signs of illness to go straight to home again…"

Home?

To Shigure's?

I couldn't go there – he would _know_ something was up then, and would make the most of it!

"… and call him." She then raised her voice slightly so the others could hear her. "It's obvious you aren't feeling well. Sohma-kun please go home to recover immediately. We don't want you to be straining yourself at school when you could get better so easily with a little bit of rest."

"Yes Sensei." I replied immediately, picking up my bag and leaving the class room, everyone staring at me as if I had transformed into a rat…

… Which I knew I hadn't just by looking at myself. See? Arms, legs, no whiskers, and _defiantly_ **no tail**.

But still, there was no _way_ I would go home early. So it only left me the option to hide somewhere until school ended.

Where better than the first year changing rooms? After all, there were no gym classes today, and no after-school activities. I could always call Hatori to pick me up if necessary…

So I went there.

_I suppose I should do some homework then… I doubt I'll get much chance back at home when Honda-san comes back…_

It was only then that I realised that there was some paper sticking out of the locker directly in front of me.

In_ my_ locker…

Curiosity got the better of me again; I pulled it out and saw it, in block capitals a message written to me.

Only it wasn't the kind of message I particularly wanted to receive…

"_YUKI._

_WHEN YOU READ THIS REMEMBER – REMEMBER YOU HAVEN'T WON._

_BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR SECRET – AND WHAT YOU ARE._

_ME."_

My heart sank as I read the message.

When was this torment ever going to end?

* * *

**Heehee – I forgot that I'd put in these bits of Angst... *laughs evilly***

"**I do like Yuki – really, I do!" The poor writer protests at the death glares that she's receiving from the Yuki fan-club girls, who seem to grow in numbers as the time passes...**


	10. Bouei

**21.08.2010, edited 07.10.2010**

Chapter 10 - Bouei

(Protection)

**Tuesday 18****th**** October 2011**

**02:19 pm**

"_YUKI._

_WHEN YOU READ THIS REMEMBER – REMEMBER YOU HAVEN'T WON._

_BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR SECRET – AND WHAT YOU ARE._

_ME."_

_My heart sank as I read the message._

_When was this torment ever going to end?_

* * *

After reading the note I just let myself sink down to the floor, the note fluttering onto the floor, tauntingly resting by my feet, face up for the world to see.

What had I done to deserve this now? It was almost as if I had my own demon following me around, trying to make my life a living hell…

"What are you doing out of class?" A voice spoke from the door. I looked at the figure, my blurry sight trying to focus into finding out who the person was. A lack of respect for the uniform… excessive piercings… white hair… black roots…

I remember the first time I ever saw that person properly, I mean _really_ looked at him, rather than glancing at him during the New Year's meal… or looking longingly at him and the other Juunishi as they went to karate training together, leaving me alone in the private room.

The first time I ever properly saw him had been one of the worst in my life up to that moment. Maybe he was just the relief I needed to calm down the fire within me, the fire that was destroying me.

* * *

_I hadn't had a good week. After the incident with me transforming in front of the other children, Akito had forced me to stay in the main house for a week… in __**that**__ room… I had had no food, no water or any other form of nourishment, or any company other than Akito for that week and even when I had been eventually let out of the room, I was only moved to a slightly lighter room, in a secluded corner of the estate, forbidden to talk to anyone… not that anyone would come to talk to me, Juunishi or other…_

_But the room had a perfect view of the dojo, and for that I was happy. Every day, at four thirty-two pm exactly I would remove myself from the bed I was told to stay in and would sit on the window seat, partly hidden from the people outside. Sitting there, in my own little sanctuary I would watch the Juunishi children mixing around with other, _normal_ children, laughing and having fun – things that were forbidden to me. Sitting there, watching the other children complete the exercises I had mastered long ago made me feel almost as if I was with them, and I think that's what drew me away from my corner to the window – to belong to somewhere…_

_And for the first few weeks, even after I had been ordered to return to school when the scars were no longer visible, I was happy, content to watch the students learning karate from Shishou. And through watching the lessons, I learned a lot about the possessed children, I learned about the cat, Kyo whom I had been so fascinated about… and who had rejected my offer of friendship without a second thought because of my possession by the rat spirit. I had even kept the hat that he had dropped, in hope that there would be an opportunity to return it to him, and gain his friendship, but still, I knew by then that there was no hope of that. He hadn't even asked Shishou to get it for him…_

_But then there was the other boy that followed him around, the boy possessed by the ox. He had always fascinated me too – maybe because of the fact our spirits were so close together in the story… Either way, I couldn't help but be entranced by the two as they sparred in the dojo to the cheers of their peers, both just as good as each other, even when Hatsuharu had 'snapped' – something that would happen quiet frequently when someone provoked him… although I never knew what the adults of children said to make him snap… Why would I know after all?_

_But they never saw me; no I would never let them notice me, because if anyone reported it to Akito then I would be as good as dead. So as they all packed up and left the dojo I would always return to the other end of the room, and hide in the shadows, watching them all before returning to the window ledge, to see the last glimpses of the sunset – as well as the more competitive fighting between the older dojo students._

_It was on one of those days, when I had thought that everyone had gone and returned to the window, that I met Hatsuharu properly for the first time. If I never had, maybe we would still be filled with animosity towards each other… but that, I suppose we'll never know._

_He was just passing the window, oblivious to all around him, his eyes full of emotion when he noticed me for the first time…_

_I never knew why, but for some reason he just snapped, and shouted at me with his young voice._

"_I HATE YOU!" Were the first words he ever spoke to me, and they tore my heart up. He didn't even know me and yet he was judging me based on the stupid legends… "It's YOUR fault everyone laughs at me!"_

_How was it _my_ fault…?_

"_It's the __**dirty scheming rats**__ fault! It's your fault!"_

_I… I'm not the same thing as the rat spirit… I'm not…_

"_You're the reason I'm slow! You're the reason I'm stupid!"_

_How could I be…? I'd never even met the boy…_

_But I couldn't stand to have him hating me without even knowing me. Some part of me rebelled against the teachings Akito had forced into me – some part of me _wanted_ to disobey Akito's orders… and to talk to someone, a Juunishi…_

… _To be friends with someone…_

… _And to have someone worry about me…_

… _That's why I spoke to him, rather than put on my usual air of indifference – indifference that I was ordered to use._

"_I… Is that true…?" Why couldn't I stop my voice from shaking so damn much? Why couldn't I be brave? I was the rat after all… even if I didn't want to be… So why couldn't I be strong and take control of my life? "Are you like that…? Are you stupid…?"_

_There was silence for a few seconds as he began to process what I had said. Had he thought I was going to argue back or something? Had he thought I would insult him back, and play the part of the rat? Had he expected me to be something different than what I was – a tortured soul like him?_

"_No… no I… I'm not stupid… I'm __**not**__ stupid… Don't judge… Don't judge me based on some story… and laugh…" Was all he said, but the words hit me hard – because I felt _exactly_ the same way._

"_Yeah, I know how you feel…" I smiled at him desperately, and to my surprise he smiled back at me, a warm smile, a kind smile…_

* * *

The same smile he was giving me now, I saw through my blurred eyes.

"Yuki… are you alright…?" He asked worriedly, walking up to me now, concerned.

And all I could do was dumbly look at the note by my feet and avoid his eye-contact, but he seemed to get the general idea of what I was trying to say, and picked up the note silently, reading it, his face turning to disgust as he did so, emotions in his eyes appearing that I had never seen before.

"Whose sick idea is this Yuki?" He asked, his protectiveness for me rising with ever second, his voice pitched slightly higher than usual. "If I find out who's responsible for that…"

"Leave it Haru… just leave it, okay? It isn't worth the trouble… _I'm_ not worth the trouble…" I pleaded with him – I didn't want any more hassle… maybe if I just ignored it, whoever sent it would get bored of trying to destroy my life… maybe, just maybe…

Haru didn't say anything after that; maybe he knew it was best for silence in this situation… or maybe he was just mulling it all over… and mulling my own reaction.

"Never say that, okay Yuki…" Haru whispered, sitting next to me and looking me straight in the eye – something I had always found difficult due to my self-consciousness. "If anyone taught me never to give up hope it was _you_, okay? We need you here, the _true_ you… and we always do…"

How was it that he always managed to say the right things to cheer me up?

Even though he knew _nothing_ about my predicament, just like everyone else, he was still here, comforting me, and trying to understand me, _all_ of me… and not just the portion all envied from afar… He was one of the only people I could ever hope to confide in, Miss Honda excluded. More importantly, he was the only _Sohma_ I could talk to and feel like a normal human, rather than some possessed thing. No one else, however good their intentions, could ever come close to Haru, because they could never understand me, because they could never understand what I had been through all my life, how I had always been judged based on the rat inside me, and the zodiac story rather that who I was as a person.

But Haru understood that. He knew what it was like to be pre-judged. And, because of that he never based anything on pure gossip, and he always let me say my side of the story before judging _anything_ to do with me…

But even though I would trust him with my life, something still stopped me from confessing what had happened that night when he had seen me in Hatori's guest room, beaten and bruised… and that same thing stopped me from pulling down my tie a little to reveal the chocker on my neck, and blurting out my darkest fears.

Maybe it was that that stopped me.

Fear.

Fear that he'd reject me, after all that we'd been through…

"Come on, let's ditch last period and get some ramen!" He decided suddenly, standing up and pulling me up after him. "You look as if you need something to take your mind off life!"

That was the best thing about Haru – if you weren't ready to talk yet, he wouldn't push you, or force you to speak – he would just smile and help you forget your troubles until you were ready to face them.

"Okay Haru." I smiled at him, the muscles in my cheeks aching to complete that small action – how long had it been since I had last smiled properly? Too long to remember properly really.

So I walked out of the school happily that day, not caring about Kyo, Shigure, or even Akito… something I had never thought I'd be able to do a mere ten minutes ago.

Maybe life didn't always have to be so bad…

… Or maybe this was just the eye in the middle of the storm… The calm part before the onslaught continued…

Either way I was content with my life at the moment. The 'ups' seemed to be balancing out the 'downs'… even if it was barely…

* * *

**Yays, a nice fluffy chapter ^^**

**I thought the fluff would balance the angst out... I hope you agree lol,**


	11. Urameshii yuubin

**AN: Sorry for the wait - I've had to put my fanfiction writing to the side for a while due to the hols being almost over - AND COURSEWORK BEING DUE IT!!! *Sobs quietly in a corner***

**The world is cruel hiding my drafts from me and not letting them find them - so I decieded to give up finding them for a day so that I could update this story for you all.**

**Also, If you want me to update any of my other staories, feel free to ask becasue I will if anyone wants me to ^_^ You just have to ask!**

**Thank you to my 83 reviewers, 10 fave adds, 20 story alerts and 1 community mention that I have recieved so far - I hope that you continue to stick with this story - I'm really enjoying writing it and I hope you are all enjoying reading it. Any thoughts on what you think will happen are also appreciated - I like reading about what other people will think will happen! ^_^**

**So enjoy, read and review...**

**... Kaytii ^_^**

* * *

Maybe life didn't always have to be so bad…

… _Or maybe this was just the eye in the middle of the storm… The calm part before the onslaught continued…_

_Either way I was content with my life at the moment. The 'ups' seemed to be balancing out the 'downs'… even if it was barely…_

***

We spent the whole day out of school, just hanging around, acting like any normal human rather than… well cursed people. Even though we did nothing of real significance, it didn't mean that I didn't remember every detail – I did remember it all and it was a perfect day… it made me forget all my worries and even _that_ _thing_ hidden under my school uniform… something which I didn't think I would be able to do, truth be told.

"Shall we go to Sensei's then Yuki?" Haru asked as the day drew to a close. "Tohru-kun will be worried by now won't she?"

"Yeah…" I replied, not really paying much attention to what he was saying. "What time is it?"

"It's eight o'clock Yuki…" He said in that ridiculously calm voice of his as he watched my eyes flutter open in panic. _Ten Hours_… I had been 'missing' for ten hours, if you counted the time from when I had left school…

Haru might be able to bluff through it all, but I was meant to be on time – it was what was expected of me!

"I need to get back now Haru…" I replied uncertainly, wanting to just get up and run home – if it weren't rude to do so.

"I'll come with you… I'm hungry anyway and mum is away tonight…"

Him just saying that made me remember the first time we ate together… the first time he had found me in that room, and he had brought me water and food… it was the first time I had ever had decent company in that room… and while he was there… I wasn't scared…

***

_I had been in the room for thirteen hours now… and I didn't even know what I had done wrong! All I had said was that I wanted to go outside… what was wrong about that? We went outside all the time together – so why couldn't I go alone?_

_But I should have known not to do anything that would displease him – shouldn't I?_

_So I sat in the darkness obediently, waiting for him to return and let me out into the light for a while…_

… _But when the door opened it wasn't Akito that came in and sat by me – it wasn't even one of his servants…_

… _It was the boy from the dojo – Hatsuharu._

"_What are you doing in the dark Yuki?" He asked, leaning against the wall comfortably. "It took me ages to find you today…"_

_How could the boy be so unaffected by this room? Was all the fear of it in my mind…?_

"_I… I was disobedient… Akito-sama ordered me to stay here and not see anyone…" I muttered, glad for once of the darkness to cover the embarrassment and shame that was spreading across my face. Explaining my situation to someone else, even someone like the boy next to me was… shameful for me… I felt ashamed of where I was in life, even though I was only ten…_

"_Oh…" He muttered, looking away for a moment before abruptly changing the subject. "Do you want some chocolate?"_

"_Chocolate…?" I echoed, squinting to see what he was holding. "O-okay…"_

_I took the piece of half-melting chocolate from him and let myself eat it slowly, letting the rich taste fill me._

"_Thank you…" I whispered, deathly afraid that Akito would be able to hear me if I spoke any louder._

"_I'll be back soon…" He spoke in his toneless voice as he got up and slid out of the door…_

_But there was no 'click'… had the door been unlocked all this time…? Had there been a chance for me to escape all this time…?_

_But I didn't let myself dwell on those facts as I finished off the chocolate and tried to get to sleep, knowing it wasn't worth it._

***

"You're spacing out again…" Haru told me as we arrived at Shigure's house, where I could see a worried Honda-san cooking dinner, looking out of the window every few minutes, but not seeing us.

But that wasn't all I saw…

… Right in front of the house was a posh black car with the Sohma family crest on it – Hatori's car.

"Looks like mom was worried after all then…" Haru said to himself, but I knew instantly that Hatori wasn't there for Haru…

… He was there to check up on me…

… Because I hadn't been where I was meant to be all day.

He was sitting at the table when we walked in, his face impassive as we came sheepishly through the door.

"Where have you been?" He asked the two of us, but I knew it was me whom the question was really aimed at.

"I…" I really didn't know what to say – what excuse would be good enough for Akito anyway?

"We were just hanging around." Hatsuharu came to the rescue without even realising it, still thinking that it was he in trouble. "I'll call mum and tell her I'm fine, okay?"

"Right…" Hatori said strangely before turning to me. "Yuki, you missed your check up today."

"I had a check-up today…?" I asked, wondering what on earth he was playing at. I wasn't due for another check-up for another week…

"Yes." He replied curtly, turning away and walking out the door. "Follow me Yuki; it's best to sort these things out while I'm here… before Shigure gets back…"

"Back from where Hatori…?" I asked, having a sinking feeling I knew where he was…

… Or rather **who **he was with…

"He is at the main house… although he doesn't know exactly what happened between you and Akito, he had been told to make sure you… behaved, apparently…" The tone of hatred in his voice shocked me almost as much as the way he had punched the wall in front of him – the wall in Shigure's office.

"I'm sorry for causing you this trouble…" I muttered, the sense of worthlessness washing over me now.

"Yuki…" Hatori lifted my face and looked into my eyes. "… You need to start understanding that this is not your fault – if you want to place the blame then put it upon Akito – because it is his fault, and his fault only."

"We are not allowed to hate him or to place the blame upon him Hatori…" I replied in a monotone, replaying what I had been told so many times by Akito himself. "It isn't allowed."

At this Hatori remained silent, looking solidly out of the window.

"He can't control our thoughts Yuki, no matter how much he believes he can…" Hatori said so quietly I almost didn't hear him, but before I could act upon his words he had pulled out a stethoscope from his pocket and began to feel my heartbeat with it. "Breathe in… Breathe out… Breathe in…"

The steady routine of the check-up calmed me down, and by the time it was over I could feel myself actually lowering my guard down enough to let myself feel sleepy in his presence.

"Yuki, I'll make sure Akito knows that you weren't disobeying him… I can't promise to be able to smooth over the damage Shigure may have caused, but I'll do my best… okay?" He didn't look at me as he spoke, he just packed up his stuff and walked to the door, Haru following calmly behind, giving me a little smile.

"Thank you Hatori…" I called gently, not wanting anyone but him to hear me.

"It's okay Yuki…" He replied curtly, opening the car door. "Just remember to arrive on time for your appointment next week… we don't want a repeat performance…"

And by 'we' he meant 'Akito'.

"I'll be there Hatori." I replied, closing the house door and walking up to my room…

… But I was stopped by Kyo.

A Kyo with a black eye from where I'd kicked him.

"So you're finally back then?" He snarled, blocking the entrance to my room.

"Move out of the way you stupid cat." I said simply, letting my mask fill my face, making it seem as if I didn't care – when truly I cared about it all – and hated myself for it.

"Not until you say sorry – and I'll make you say it!" He smirked, and I was just tired – I wanted to turn around, but something about him made me want to stand up for myself – so I did.

"I'm sorry." I had apologised too much in my life for it to mean anything anymore – how could I be sorry for something when I didn't even know what I'd done?

And so I knew it would infuriate him even more.

"DAMN YOU! Do you have no shame?!?"

It was the same argument that he always used, and normally I would have cut in with something perfect for the situation… but this time I stopped to think about what he said to me.

… Did I really have no shame, to just go around wearing a mask like I did…?

So when I answered, I spoke the truth to him for the first time in my life – and the last time if I had anything to do with the decision.

"No, you _baka neko_, I don't suppose I do…" I told him straight as I slid past his guard and into my room, slamming the door on him, causing him to swear and leave his pursuit.

I went to my bed and lay down, wanting to sleep and forget everything – and everyone.

*beep… beep…*

I heard my phone ringing and flipped it open, to see I had a message.

"YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD HIDE?

YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH WHAT YOU DID?

NO ONE BELIEVES THAT YOU'LL GET AWAY FROM IT ALL…

CERTAINLY NOT –

-- ME!"

I just stared at the text for a few moments, before looking at the number that sent the text…

_Number withheld._

Oh how I hated the bitterness of life sometimes…

I sat there for the rest of the night, staring at the phone, and wondering who wanted to break me even when I wasn't with Akito…

… And I couldn't come up with anyone who hated me that much… well someone who would have the brains to do this that hated me, at least…

* * *


	12. Issuinoyume

**AN: NOOOOOO - The hells of school - DON'T MAKE ME GO BACK TOMORROW!!!**

**Okay, becasue I have school now, I decided to put up this chapter. It isn't as long as the others, and it isn't Yuki-centric, but it should make you all think; so please review to say what you think about this layout and stuff becasue I wasn't fully sure what you'd think of it all. All of it is mainly in 3rd person. the things in square brackets [] You NEED to read as they link each part and kind of make them all make sense, so please read.**

**I hope you like this very... different chapter ^_^**

**More reviews means a quicker update next time - and with school coming up it's needed!**

**kaytii/**

* * *

_O__h how I hated the bitterness of life sometimes…_

_I sat there for the rest of the night, staring at the phone, and wondering who wanted to break me even when I wasn't with Akito…_

… _And I couldn't come up with anyone who hated me that much… well someone who would have the brains to do this that hated me, at least…_

***

[In the world of dreams people can imagine anything and everything. They can make their biggest wishes appear in front of them… but they can also make their worst nightmares take form for the night, in a world where the person can never escape – because the world is inside their head…]

***

The room was pitch black, and through the eerie silence I could hear the dripping of water from somewhere… From a place that I couldn't locate… From a place I couldn't get to… My throat was parched from days without water and nourishment and all my mind could focus on was getting to that water, to find that life sustaining fluid that taunted me every time it dripped onto the floor of the room…

… But after a few moments of searching in vain, I realised that the dripping wasn't from the water that I craved so much…

… It was from blood…

… _My _blood…

As soon as this realisation dawned on me I began to run, though I don't know how I even had the strength to…

… But every time I neared the door, it would move away suddenly and only seem even father from me with each passing second…

… And then, when I could feel my sight beginning to blur slightly, the laughing began…

… First it was quiet, but then it began to grow in pitch and cruelty…

… The laughter growing louder and louder…

… That terrifying laughter…

… _Akito's_ laughter…

No matter where I went, where I ran to, he was there, blocking my way to freedom, laughing that cruel, mocking laugh all the time, closing in on me, coming closer and closer and invading my mind…

And as I fell into the darkest abyss of my mind that laughter stayed with me, ringing in my ears even as I awoke from my nightmare covered in sweat…

***

[But sometimes nightmares can come back to haunt the dreamer, sneaking up upon them when they least expect it. Nightmares can come to life could turn even the most trusted ally into an enemy and the most hated foe into a friend… But that wasn't what this particular nightmare was about, not this one at least… The dream Yuki had that day had been a premonition. A premonition of things to come…]

***

Akito sat in his room thinking about what had happened that day, and who had visited him; the visitor whom he had not expected to come and had told him some sad news.

The rat had disobeyed his orders.

He had been out with the Ox all day, so he had been told…

And Yuki wasn't allowed to wander around in the outside world, and have _fun_.

Just as Akito himself wasn't allowed to.

"There you go." Akito snapped as he handed a pay-as-you-go phone to his 'trusted' spy… to his informant "You know what to do with it – and you'd better do a good job."

"I will." Was the solid reply as the informant looked down in respect.

And then Akito dismissed his pawn, going to stand on the balcony to his room, looking out onto the estate, and into the forest where he knew Yuki would be somewhere, sitting in his room, terrified now after receiving a certain text message…

_You think you can run from __**me**__, hmm?_ He thought glaring at Shigure's house as he located it, and into the window where Yuki would be. _Well, my precious Nezumi, you've got another thing coming!_

***

[Life is like a game of chess. Everyone has a part to play, and in this particular game, the Juunishi were all there, pieces for Akito as the king to play to get his own way – and at the moment the target of his choice was Yuki. And so when the pawns saw each other at the gate of the main house they knew there was nothing they could really do… but it didn't stop one from enjoying what was happening and the other from wanting to save the child in question…]

***

"Gone to tell tales to Akito-san then?" Hatori asked as Shigure walked out of the gates.

"You think so little of me Haa-san?" Shigure said in his light tones, before realising that the doctor was being serious. "Yes, I went to Akito; but I'm only obeying orders – like you do."

"_I'm_ not enjoying it though." Hatori stated simply, turning his back on the dog Juunishi.

"I know something's wrong with all this Haa-san." Shigure called out, causing Hatori to freeze in shock. _How did the dog get to be so darn cleaver? _"I know there's something that you and Akito aren't telling me about Yuki – and mark my words; I **will** find out what it is. I don't like being left in the dark Hatori; you know that better than anyone."

"Shigure. Threats will NOT work on me." Hatori stated, glaring at the dog Juunishi. "Just because you believe you have all rights to know everything about Akito doesn't mean you will. _Akito doesn't trust you as far as he could throw you. _Why don't you realise that?"

"He does tell me things!" Shigure protested, but Hatori knew he was lying.

"Shigure, if you're prowling around here for answers then it is obvious that he _isn't_ telling you everything. Stop messing in other people's business. It will only end up with one person getting hurt; Yuki."

At that Shigure just laughed.

"Haa-san – do you not realise?" He asked smiling maliciously. "I don't _care_ who gets hurt as long as I get what I want. So what if Yuki gets hurt, or even destroyed in the process; it's collateral damage—"

*Slap*

When Shigure had said that Hatori snapped. The poor boy had had enough abuse from Akito to last a life time and he had been unable to do anything about it.

But Shigure was another matter.

He was just an idiot who thought he could do anything he wanted.

And Hatori wouldn't allow anything more to happen to the boy he thought of as a little brother – as true family; he had sworn to Ayame he would protect Yuki as much as he could… and so he would.

"Shigure Sohma; you will _not_ say things like that EVER again. Yuki is a thousand times the person you will EVER be, and don't you forget it! You will not bother Yuki again, and if I find out… well let's just say I can find more painful injections than what I am giving you!"

At that Shigure paled and walked away, not wanting to anger the doctor any more – but not agreeing to back off either.

***

[Sometimes things a person does changes the course of events for a person. But how much can a betrayal; change a person's opinion? Because this person sure felt betrayed – and it was time for revenge…]

***

[But of course Yuki Sohma didn't know any of that; as he took a shower and returned to bed that night he had no idea whatsoever about how bad things could get…]

* * *


	13. Nebusoku

**Okay, I know its been over a week, but I'#ve been REALLY REALLY busy, with coursework and school and stuff.**

**SO now I've decided ONE UPDATE A WEEK... okay?**

**This chapter is back to the angst, and I hope you... enjoy... it...**

**Thankyou for all those who have reviewed and added this to ur faves/story alerts - I hope you continue to suport the story - it really makes me smile when i read ur reviews ^_^**

**please enjoy.**

**Kaytii/ ^_^**

* * *

[Sometimes things a person does changes the course of events for a person. But how much can a betrayal; change a person's opinion? Because this person sure felt betrayed – and it was time for revenge…]

_***_

_[But of course Yuki Sohma didn't know any of that; as he took a shower and returned to bed that night he had no idea whatsoever about how bad things could get…]_

_*******_

_**One week later.**_

It was midnight, and as I lay there, in the centre of my bed, I knew that sleep wouldn't find me – it had been like this ever since that dream had begun to come – every night without fail it would return to haunt my sleep, and then keep me from falling to slumber again that night, leaving me weary-eyed and pale-faced for the following day. I could barely keep my eyes open now for five minutes, but every time sleep began to return for a few blissful moments I would be snapped out of it by a comment from one of my peers addressing me.

Thankfully no one had noticed my… neck adornment while I was at school. I had gotten out of sports due to something Hatori had said, him somehow knowing that I would be like this… but even as I watched the other students running around the athletics track I still felt conscious – I had always known at _some _point that my fellow classmates would find out what was there… but I dearly hoped that that moment would be put off indefinitely… even though I knew I was counting the days until all the gossip, scandal and mockery came… the latter from the stupid cat, and the formers from everyone else…

So all that had meant that as I sat there in my room, my body covered in sweat from the half-hour sleep I had had, that I wanted to leave for a while – just to get out of there for a few minutes. So after I heard Shigure return from the main house – a place he had been going every night, never failing to offer the invite to me, - I immediately slipped out of my bed, and into a coat and waited for the door to his study/bedroom to lock before creeping past and leaving the house for a few minutes, desperate to get some fresh air for once.

But Shigure wasn't asleep.

I didn't realise until I looked over my shoulder and saw him looking out of the window, gazing directly at me – and knowing that I wasn't meant to be out…

… And I knew as I ran further away from the house, that Shigure would call Akito, and then he would order the dog to go after me… and 'detain' me until I could be taken to the main house.

But I'd had _enough_ of being messed around!

If I could have just one night of freedom, then wouldn't it be worth it?

Wouldn't it?

"_Over my shoulder, running away…"_

So as I ran away from all I associated with 'Sohma' I let tears escape from my eyes, feeling their coldness fall down my face, freezing my inner soul as the rain began to pour down upon my miserable life.

"…_Feels like I'm falling, losing my day…"_

I ran until I could physically run no further – until I could feel my pounding heart straining to keep me going, and my breathing reaching its limits. And then I let myself fall onto the floor, relishing in the way I felt – because the pain was one I could control. This wasn't like what I felt when I was with Akito – helpless and pathetic…

No… when I was running here, and feeling like this… I felt _in control_… and I rarely ever felt like that.

Just being able to control something in my like this – even if it caused me pain, it felt liberating, and that was what I yearned for the most;

Freedom.

And if pushing myself through this torment would get me that freedom, even for a few moments then I would gladly accept it…

… No matter what the cost…

"…_Cold and dry,_

_Cold and dry…"_

That was exactly how I felt. I may have been soaked on the outside… but on the inside I was completely different.

I had been turned into a cold, dry thing… I no longer held any emotions within me apart from coldness – my life was based upon solitude now… solitude with my 'master'…

… But there, in the centre of my essence, there was one emotion remaining.

Fear.

No matter what I did, what people said to me, that pitiful emotion always kept cropping back up, invading my senses whenever he – or anyone related to what happened came near me… the very presence of darkness…

… And the source of my nightmares…

"… _Fog out my daylight, torture my night…"_

As I looked into the sky, there was no moon – nothing there to guide me, or to protect me, or to let me know if anyone was behind me… it seemed strange, because I knew that it would be the same for anyone else – without the moon they wouldn't be able to see me…

… But that didn't mean that I wasn't scared out of my senses – because I was.

The only thing that scared me enough to be on a par with Akito was the darkness.

In the darkness anything could happen – any of my _nightmares could happen_…

And Akito never hit me in the light – in the light I was safe-ish… In the light other people would see what he was doing it, and stop it… stop him from killing me.

But in the darkness Akito held all the power. In the darkness he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and I could do nothing about it at all… He could use me, abuse me, terrify me… and yet I couldn't do anything to stop him – _none_ of us could. Becaus3e Akito was god, our boss…

_The master of our souls…_

And he never let us forget it – never.

"… _Feels like I'm falling far out of sight…"_

As soon as I had gone as far as my pitiful body would allow, I allowed myself to collapse to the ground, giving my body a brief moment of respite as I listened to my throbbing pulse as it slowed down. The beating was like a clock – a clock timing the beats until my life would be over – maybe not in the literal sense though – because there were something's that I would prefer death to…

And then a thought struck me – I was lost.

Yes, I had run away so that I Shigure couldn't obey orders to get me back…

… But what if I was injured while out here or if I couldn't find my way back…?

No one would be able to fine me…

… I would be stuck out here, until either I was found… or until I could cope no longer…

It really felt as if fate had turned its back on me, and had left me to suffer…

"… _Cold, dark,_

_Tired, lost…"_

"Yuki?" I could hear a voice shouting in the darkness, a deep melancholy voice – the voice of someone who had comforted me ever since I was just a mere child… the voice of a doctor…

The voice of Hatori.

"H-Hatori…?" I managed to stammer out, my voice hoarse from the rain that had been pounding through me for the last half hour – or was it longer? I had long since given up counting the minutes I had been gone.

"Yuki? God what are you doing out in weather like this?!?" He murmured to me as he came closer, but his piercing eyes told me that he wanted an answer.

"I… I've not been, well sleeping well lately I suppose… I just needed to get out for a bit…" I half-lied, half told the truth, knowing that if I told a lie outright Hatori would know instantly. Also, if I gave him a medical reason, hopefully he would concentrate on that rather than any other reason that I may have had for 'running away'…

Of course Hatori wasn't stupid.

Of course he would guess…

… Or at least try to, knowing that I _needed_ to tell someone, even if I wouldn't ever say that to anyone's face…

"_Over my shoulder, running away,_

_Feels like I'm falling, losing my way…"_

"I know Shigure called Akito, Yuki…" He said gently, and I wondered briefly if he had been there at the time – at a time when Akito surely would have been in a terrible temper. "How could you think that you'd be able to get away Yuki… you know Akito can track you… you know that I can find you if Akito commands… he could even send Shigure if he wanted to – and Shigure would be able to find you wherever you went… If Akito wished it."

"I know… I KNOW ALREADY!" I cried out, knowing all these things, and yet wishing completely that they weren't true; that they weren't _ever _true…

Hatori just remained silent, and let me cry, he just stood there next to me, to let me know that I wasn['t alone even when I felt like the world was full of just the darkness of my nightmares.

He was there…

And so were others…

Honda-san…

The Juunishi…

They were all there for me…

"Do you want to stay at my house tonight Yuki, rather than going back to Shigure's and having to deal with his questions? We can always say that you had a late appointment and decided to stay the night…" Hatori coaxed me, trying to get me to come out of my shell for a moment.

"…_Cold, dry,_

_Cold and dry…"_

"Yeah…" I whispered, glad to do anything to stay away from that house for a while… even Hatori's house in the main estate would be better than the house where my 'guardian' betrayed me, and left me to be tortured.

"let's go then Yuki…" Hatori led me to his car, and as I slid in I could feel my eyes lower as I slid into a sleep that was pure… the first dreamless sleep I had had in a _long_ time…


	14. Souran

**Okay, I KNOW that it's been almost 2 weeks now since i last updated, but Ive been very busy with coursework and stuff, as well as the fact i had very few reviews for the last chapter so my motivation went for a week and a bit, meaning i forced this chapter out.**

**But I'm back and i WILL write every week now... unless something unexpeced happens...**

**Also, I ask of you to review my chapters, and also to check out my re-writing of one of my older stories - which is named "hyouden". The plot is already completely made, and now I just need to finish it. So anyone who likes this, please check out that story and any other story I've written.**

**Thankyou all who read and review my works - it makes me happy and gives me motivation for writing more ^_^.**

**Go on youtube and listen to the song "I'll be there" from "the pirate queen" - it is an AMAZING song ^_^**

**Please enjoy this next chapter...**

**Kaytii (or Kae-chan, your choice)**

* * *

"_Let's go then Yuki…" Hatori led me to his car, and as I slid in I could feel my eyes lower as I slid into a sleep that was pure… the first dreamless sleep I had had in a long time…_

***

I woke up in a strange bed, in a room that was completely different to the one I usually resided in – this room was pure white, and had the smell of disinfectant in it.

I tried getting up but I felt pain all over me.

_What on __**earth**__ has happened to me…?_ I thought as I got out of the white bed and into the uniform that had been placed there. _Why would they give me a school uniform in the afterlife…?_

Then I realised that I was well and truly alive… and for some reason it made me smile…

"So you're awake now then Yuki?" A voice from the door asked as I came out from the adjoining bathroom. "I thought you'd never wake up… then again with the lack of sleep you've been experiencing it's a wonder that you're even awake at this time!"

"H-how long have I been out for Hatori…?" I asked sleepily, wondering what time it was.

"About ten hours… it's around eleven o'clock now… there's enough time to get you back to school, that's if you want." Hatori told me as he pulled my school bag from a cupboard. "I took the liberty of collecting some of your things from Shigure's house."

"Oh… okay…" I murmured back, wondering why Hatori would go to so much trouble. "M… may I ask why?"

"Shigure's house is no longer a safe environment for you to live in if you wish to recover." Hatori stated, leaving the room and beckoning me to follow, which I did instantly, carrying my bag and fingering the colour around my neck nervously, as I always did whenever I was alone. "I have spoken to some of the elders and have now the authority to have guardianship over you as Shigure has been deemed 'irresponsible', in your case at least."

That was all very well, I thought to myself nervously… but now I was all the more nearer to Akito and his wrath…

"Akito knows he can't go near you for a while Yuki." Hatori said, knowing that was what I would be most concerned about. "He has promised not to speak to you while you're staying here, unless you want to speak with him. He isn't happy about it… but he agreed nonetheless… although none of us know why…"

"Thank you Hatori." I replied grateful that I wouldn't have to confront Akito anytime soon – for that would have been the one thing that would scare me completely.

"You don't need to thank me Yuki – I'm only doing my job – keeping the Sohma family well." Was his gruff reply as he went into the kitchen and began cooking. "Sit down and don't come near the kitchen, okay?"

I laughed as he spoke – obviously he _still_ hadn't forgotten the last time he had allowed me to help him cook… and I had burned the house down!!!

"You know I'm better than I was five years ago Hatori!" I protested, laughing slightly, but I knew, deep down that I was lying – if anything, over the last five years my cooking had grown _worse_, not better

"Yes, and I suppose Honda-san was lying when she timidly stated that you had almost burnt the kitchen down _five times_…" Hatori joked along with me, smiling back at my laughing as I put my hands up defensively and backed out of the kitchen, accepting that my culinary skills were as bad as Shishou's and that I shouldn't be allowed within five miles of a kitchen, let alone _inside_ one.

"Fine, fine Hatori, I'll wait in the dining room!" I conceded defeat and went into the small dining room, just off the modern kitchen. "What are we having for breakfast…? I mean lunch…" I asked smiling, feeling my stomach rumble.

"Something simple." He stated, as I heard the oven turn on. "Macaroni cheese."

_Simple_…? I thought to myself in awe. It would be a lifetime accomplishment for me to even light an oven without setting a kitchen on fire, and he called cooking a full complex meal like that _simple_…

I still have so much to learn about the Juunishi, and why the rat can do anything and everything _apart_ from cook a non-burnt meal…

***After Breakfast… Lunch… let's just call it _brunch_***

"Come on then Yuki." Hatori said as he led me to the black car with tinted windows that he always tended to drive. (Ayame said it was because he was a master-spy and didn't want to be seen and captured by the enemy – the Japanese police… but I had learnt by now to _never _trust ANYTHING my idiot of a brother ever said… anyway, Hatori sometimes had skin complaint in the bright Japanese sun, so wore shades when he was outside anyway).

I sat in the car in silence, watching the building pass us by as the car sped through the city towards Kawaiia High School, each second passing making me more and more sleepy…

"Come on Yuki, you need to wake up – we're here now." Hatori shook me awake, and as my eyes adjusted to the area around me I realised he was indeed speaking the truth – for I could see the crowds now gathering around the school yard for lunch break as the car pulled into an empty parking space, their gazes instantly drawn toward the car causing me to inwardly cringe.

"Just go inside, and tell Honda-kun where you were, okay Yuki?" Hatori instructed to me as I grabbed my bag and made to open the car passenger door. "Make sure no one finds out what happened… I think that would be better for you Yuki…"

He was always so kind and thoughtful, and never selfish… it just seemed _strange_ that I could know someone who didn't have any selfish purposes toward me at all…

There was just him and Honda-san I suppose… and Haru I suppose, when he isn't in 'black' mode…

"Okay Hatori… I don't think they'll find out… the people at school generally don't look past what they _think_ they see… no non Sohma would ever look any further when it came to me… I'm just boring like that… to boring for people even to bother looking any deeper than the surface…"

"Don't think like that Yuki." Hatori said, slightly sharply to me, his eyes showing his concern for me. "The people at your school are just fools. It is _not_ your fault – do you understand that?"

"Even if I understood it Hatori it doesn't mean that I would believe in it…" I replied as I got out of the car and shut the door, ignoring everyone's stares as I trudged towards the canteen, following the twisting corridors until I reached where Honda-san and her friends were eating, Honda-san's face looking slightly concerned… until she say me.

"Yuki-kun! There you are!" The look of relief on her face was so intense that I couldn't help but let my smile warm; changing from the cold smile it had been before. "When you weren't there when we all woke up, and Shigure-san had said you went out during the night…-"

So that damn dog had gone around telling _everyone_ where I went now, and not just Akito?!?

"- … I was so worried – I mean like your asthma… and then when you didn't come to school, I feared something bad had happened to you…" She began explaining her worry, but I just cut her off, to try and stop her from worrying anymore about me.

"Honda-san, I have just not been sleeping well… and so I go out for walks at night before going back home to bed… I just decided to go to Hatori's after my walk rather than… home," I lied, almost spitting out that last word – for that house was no longer a place that I could consider a place I would call _home_… "I had another appointment with him anyway…"

"You've been having an awful lot of check-ups lately Yuki-kun…" Honda-san frowned slightly, realising something was wrong with the events that had been occurring recently. "Has your illness become worse?!?"

Even though she came to the wrong conclusion, I still hastened to sooth her troubles – even though I knew she wasn't the person for me, she was always there for me – and I wouldn't ever betray that… she was like family to me… like the mother I never had, for the woman that called herself my 'mother' had long since disowned that title by her actions towards me.

"No, Honda-san, I had this many appointments before… I just usually attended them whilst you were at work, and so you never knew about them." I lied again, but even that was some truth – I _had_ always gone to my appointments while she was at work… but they had _never _been this frequent, mainly because until recently I had been recovering, albeit slowly to start off with…

… And now I'm falling back to the beginning I suppose…

"Oh, okay then Yuki-kun!" Honda-san smiled at me, and indicated towards the table. "Do you want to eat with us? I brought your meal just in case you came…"

"No thank you Honda-san," I replied demurely, smiling slightly more coldly now. "There are a few things I must do before lessons start, I'm afraid…"

"Okay then! Have fun!" She replied, waving as she sat down to talk to Hanajima-san and Uotani-san, them all laughing together about something that had been said – something I knew I'd never be able to do.

As I walked down the corridors I heard raised voices coming from one of the classrooms – one being Kyo's tones, and the other belonging to a voice I recognised, but couldn't place…

"Why the hell should I know where the damn rat is?!?" I heard him shout at the other person, neither of them facing me at that moment. "Go and ask the secretary – she'd know more than ME!"

"I've already asked the incompetent staff of this institution, _and they have no idea where he is_…" I tensed now slightly, recognising the voice a little more now. "Now, TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!"

At that moment Kyo swirled around slightly, and was immediately looking straight at me, a smirk appearing on his face – and I knew then that I couldn't run from the situation fate had brought me to.

"Your little play-thing is right behind you…" Kyo snarled at the other person, and I could see the smaller person tense up in anger for a second as he stepped up to Kyo and shoved him to the floor, his smaller figure causing considerable damage to the classroom.

"Don't talk about him like that!" the voice snarled at the neko, and his foot connected with the cat's stomach… or maybe even the area below that.

And then I realised who it was…

"Please don't…" I whispered to the one and only…

… Akito…

* * *


	15. Tenbatsu

**Okay, about a week since I've last updated, so I hope you all like this next chapter, and review it ^_^**

**Also I ask of you to please check out all my other stories and review so that I know what people think of them.**

**Thankyou.**

**Kaé-chan ^_^**

* * *

_And then I realised who it was…_

"_Please don't…" I whispered to the one and only…_

… _Akito…_

***

_I had to find him – I needed to. Hatori had betrayed me for the Nezumi and even Shigure had begun to fail his duty to me. He wasn't meant to drive my precious INSANE! He wasn't meant to kill him…_

_And that smug cat. I saw him there, walking to school, talking with that Honda girl, not a care in the world. Weren't those stupid beings meant to look out for each other?!? Weren't my Juunishi meant to look out for each other? Shouldn't the cat have felt SOME remorse?!? Instead he just laughed! He didn't care about the Nezumi of the Juunishi at all!_

_I couldn't have that… I'm GOD and they all needed to remember that…_

… _And I needed to find him…_

***

Akito swivelled around immediately; as soon as he heard my voice, and for a second, before his own mask reappeared upon his face I saw a flash of unrecognisable emotions; intensity, sorrow, and… fear…?

But then, a millisecond later those emotions were gone, and they slipped away from my mind immediately, me to forget them for now.

"… H… he's not worth it… A-Akito-sama" I continued weakly, my entire being reacting to the gaze of Akito, growing weaker, and I could feel my shoulders crouching in closer to me, trying to make me as small as possible in the presence of my master, my god.

At this Akito's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing, as he glared at Kyo.

"Oh yes he is, little Yuki-kun." Akito promised through gritted teeth as he glared at the Neko, pure hate going through his eyes – and yet they were different to when they were glaring at me. When he was angry at me, his eyes were colder, and more controlled – he was in 'vengeful god' mode when he was with me… but now… he was more out of control, and maniac…

… And he wouldn't think about what he was doing…

For a moment, I almost wished that Akito would just snap and attack Kyo; show the cat what it was like to be on the receiving end of god's anger… to show him that it was not just a bit of 'teasing' that I had been through… to show him what the word torture really meant…

… I _almost_ wished that.

Instead I remained silent as Akito finished his speech.

"He has been disobedient, and has laughed when his fellows could have been _DEAD_ for all he knew!" As he spoke Akito kicked the cat again, I being helpless to stop him…

… It was then that I realised this was _exactly_ how Hatori and my brother had felt when I had been taken: they were helpless. Helpless to help me, and powerless to go against god, for the Juunishi god would never pause for Juunishi like them – perhaps there was only one Juunishi he would stop for at all…

And I wouldn't be like the others. Even though I could get hurt helping him… even though I _hated_ him… I had to prove to them, to _myself_ that it didn't always have to be like this; we didn't always have to be helpless against god… I had to prove to myself that I _could_ be strong in his presence… that I _wasn't_ just his plaything… even for a few minutes… seconds, even…

"Akito-sama…" I grabbed onto his arm as he went down to hit Kyo again and clung to it, stopping the impact just before he contacted Kyo's slightly trembling body. "Please, Akito-sama… doesn't…"

"Why shouldn't I? Why should I show him what it's like to be someone else?" He snarled.

But what he was really implying was _'why shouldn't I show him what it's like to be __**you**__?'_

And I couldn't answer that. Even though a part of me wanted him to know what it was like being me, the saner part of me was screaming at my consciousness that this wasn't the right way. To let Akito do that to someone else wasn't right. It would make me just as bad as Akito, deep down…

And I refused to be anything like the one who invaded my nightmares…

"Not like this Akito-sama…" I murmured to him, low enough so Kyo wouldn't hear me – because if he did, I don't think I would have ever lived it down…

Akito didn't say anything, but he let his grip on Kyo loosen considerably, before turning around and walking out the room, a sneer on his face as he looked at Kyo, then his black orbs turned their gaze onto me, and I shivered involuntarily.

"Come on Yuki-kun…" His silken voice came out easily, but underneath it there were tones of menace – tones that silently told me that I _couldn't_ disobey… in front of the cat I had to support my 'god' completely – otherwise the eons old laws that were set would be upturned… well, to the Juunishi, that's how it felt; even if _the_ world wouldn't be destroyed, _our _world would be…

"Yes Akito-sama." I replied immediately as I followed him out of the abandoned classroom, leaving Kyo lying on the floor, embarrassed, but unharmed… for which he was lucky.

"So how have you been Yuki?" Akito asked as we walked slowly down the corridors, his hands in the pockets of the suit he wore, his head held high as he walked past the crowds, me following obediently. "It's been so long since we last spoke…"

And whose fault was _that_? I wondered to myself as we continued to walk down the corridors.

"I've been… better…" I replied truthfully, knowing that since our last meeting things had _defiantly_ taken a down-turn for me… "Then again, I've also been worse…"

_Like when I am with you…_

Akito's eyes twitched for a second, showing an emotion that I couldn't recognised – one I had never seen before. But it was gone almost immediately, replaced by anger.

"Yes." Was all he said as he continued, not looking at all as he walked through a big group of people, all who immediately looked at us, whispering loudly to each other.

"_Who's that with Yuki-sempei?"_

"_He's just like Yuki-kun… so beautiful… – do you think they're related…?"_

"_No, he hasn't mentioned a brother… maybe… *gasp*"_

"_No… do you think so…?"_

"_He can't be!" _The last person, a girl half sobbed, and it was only then that I realised two things…

… First, they thought that Akito-sama and I were… you know… dating…

… And the second;

A girl was coming straight towards me; her arms open… as if to embrace me…

"Keep your hands off him." Akito glared at the girl, who instantly backed off scared.

_Wow, so his scary face really works on other people… that's strange… _I remembered thinking as I watched Akito move forward slightly, as if defending me.

"Who do you think you are talking about Yuki like that?" A foolish girl who obviously hadn't realised Akito's full potential blurted out from the crowd. "He's not your property!"

_How little they know… in essence that's all we are, all us Juunishi…_

"Who do I _think_ I am?" Akito laughed, actually laughed at her, his eyes narrowing. "What I am is solid proof child, not that I need to explain myself to the likes of _you_."

Now_ that _certainly caused a stir with the amassing crowd, and I could see that Akito was almost _enjoying_ stirring the crowds up… and so I had to stop all of this – by explaining the truth…

"This is Akito Sohma-sama… the head of my family." I told them, to the general shock of the masses.

Akito suddenly smirked, and I realised then that he had actually _wanted_ it to be me who revealed who he was.

_Great Yuki, playing straight into his hands again. _I berated myself, annoyed that Akito could 'play' me so easily.

"Come on, I need to speak with you somewhere _without_ idiots around every corner." Akito then began to walk away abruptly, and shepherded me into an empty classroom.

"You've kept your collar on…" Akito stated in a nearly surprised tone, reaching for my neck and touching the collar for a second, looking at it almost admiringly… almost as if I were some kind of golden statue or something…

"Why did you come here today Akito-sama?" I asked, looking out of the window where Honda-san and her friends were, none of them noticing us in the second-story classroom.

"I wanted to see you Yuki… it's been too long…" Akito spoke silkily as he came up behind me, looking at what I was seeing.

"No… really, why did you want to see me…?" I asked again, not in the mood to hear his riddles.

"Hatori said that you'd decided to go to the main estate to live... but to stay with him, rather than your room in my home. Why is it that you chose to do that?" Akito asked, his tones calm, but cutting… but they weren't harsh necessarily… it was more as if he were trying to understand my reasoning's rather than change them…

What should I say?

Should I say the truth, and make him angry… for I knew the truth would make him angry…

Should I lie, and say what I would imagine he's accept, and have the weight looming over me…?

Or should I just back down, and go wherever he wants me to now, and give up all I had been fighting for…?

"I… I…"

"Yes Yuki…?" His voice was closer now, and more menacing, even though the tone stayed exactly the same as it was before…

"I…"

This was the moment of truth… I needed to try and not be so damn afraid of him – I just needed enough courage to say _one measly sentence_ without stuttering…

"I-I need to recover… and the atmosphere at Shigure's house isn't doing me any good… you know that…" I said at the end – for of course he knew what was happening – Shigure was informing him on every move I made!

"You know I could order you back there… you and Hatori would be powerless to stop me…" Akito whispered venomously, his eyes hard and filled with a glint of anger. "I could make you go back and _suffer_…"

"Will you…?" I couldn't help it from blurting out of my mouth – I really couldn't… and so I fully deserved the slap he gave me, and as I flew across the room, I knew it wasn't his fault… he was so used to doing it, that it became a reflex action.

"… No…" He replied, going to the door. "Pack up and move wherever you want… just come and visit me on Saturday, okay?"

As he left the room I knew that it wasn't a request – it was an order. If I wanted the brief respite he had offered me then I needed to obey him…

Obedience… that seemed to be all it bottled down to these days… If I was obedient, then I would be 'safe'. If I wasn't… then I would get hurt…


	16. Zen’aku

**Sorry this took such a long time to release - I've been ill for the last few days (i still am) and so I've been bedridden. Hopefully I'll get better soon enough to continuue updating more regually!**

**Please enjoy the story and dont forget to review!  
Also, thanks to all those who have actually taken the time to review - I appreciate it so so much! ^_^**

**Okay, have any of you heard of Phantom of the Opera, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber? Well if you have I advise you to check out the sequal - its called 'Love never dies'. I definatly advise you to go on youtube and check out one of the songs they've shown called - "Until I hear you sing" - It's a masterpiece!**

**Thanks again/**

**Kaé-chan.**

* * *

_As he left the room I knew that it wasn't a request – it was an order. If I wanted the brief respite he had offered me then I needed to obey him…_

_Obedience… that seemed to be all it bottled down to these days… If I was obedient, then I would be 'safe'. If I wasn't… then I would get hurt…_

***

Well… today's events had certainly been a surprise…

I stood there in the empty classroom, dazed, dwelling on what had just occurred on this day…

One thing that I knew for sure, though, was that questions would be asked, and not just by those girls who constantly followed me around, giving me no privacy or moments to myself at all. Oh, no… every close member in that 'family' that called themselves mine would also be gossiping about why the 'Great Head of the Family' was going to the trouble to visit pathetic lowly Yuki-kun at his school rather than just summoning him like what he usually would do… I could just imagine going through the estate, their callous voices following me like echoes of the past events, retelling my story in many different tones…

And it wasn't just the people in the Sohma family that would notice today's events either. For sure, especially once the story had been passed through the school – as stories always do – the teaching staff would begin to get suspicious and ask me about the day's happenings, poking their noses into business that wasn't anything to do with them, pretending to be concerned about my life, saying emotionlessly that I could 'trust' them, or tell them if anything at all was wrong…

Ha – as if I could tell _them_ the truth!

I couldn't tell _anyone_ the truth, not really… after all, no one other that the 'inside' family would believe me _sane_ if I told them even the first secret of my life: that I was cursed…

… And no one, Sohma or outsider would be able to help me out of the… predicament I was in – of that I was positive. How could I say to another human being even a fraction of what has happened to me since birth? The very thought of speaking those thoughts out loud is almost inconceivable…

How could I possibly say that I, Yuki Sohma, the 'prince' of the school body had been abused by the leader of one of the most prominent families in Japan since childhood…? How could I say that every single bad moment and memory in my life could be _directly_ linked to something had said, done or ordered? How could I say that every morning I went around half asleep, not because I was a heavy sleeper, but because every night I was constantly plagued by nightmares of being back in that room, with him, afraid that my eyes would not live long enough to see the next sunrise rise through the cracks in the wall…?

How could _anyone_ say such a truth to a person who knew _nothing_ about pain, or suffering, or anguish…?

How could they?

"Yuki Sohma-kun?" An adults voice – a _teachers_ voice sounded from the doorway to the previously empty classroom. "Could you please tell me yourself what happened today? There have been a few claims that a strange person had entered the premises…"

Couldn't they give me even a few measly minutes respite before bombarding me with their torrent of questions?

And so I put on my 'mask' again and began to deceive my way out of the situation fate had put me in – something any Juunishi Sohma (apart from Kyo) could do all too well… The cold smile, the quiet voice, the 'innocent' eyes… They all helped me … and were all qualities about me that I despised…

"I apologise for the… events of today Sensei." I spoke calmly, my head slightly bowed, all the things that adults expected of a person who was truly sorry… "The head of my family had come to inform me on who my new guardian was to be…"

There, a lie with an element of truth… (Akito _had_ said I was to live with Hatori now… it just wasn't why he had come) for adults it was enough to keep them content for a while – it always was…

"So the reports of him causing a disturbance are untrue…?" The teacher raised an eyebrow, looking at me slightly disbelievingly.

"Akito-sama did not _start_ any of the disturbances." I cut in quietly; telling the complete truth, for it had been the girls who had started the conflict…

… But then I realised that I was actually covering up for – actually _on the side of_ Akito… even if I was speaking only the truth, it seemed strange to be defending him in a circumstance like this, when nothing had been done to _me_…

I glanced back at the teacher for a second, who seemed to be busy scrutinising me – checking to see if I was lying, or bending the truth at all…

… Which she didn't see…

"Very well Sohma-kun, just make sure nothing like this happens again, it would be bad not only for you, but others here as well…"

"It won't happen again, Sensei." I promised immediately, knowing that even without her asking me I would have done all in my power to keep Akito away from the school at all costs.

"Okay…" The teacher accepted my promise, about to walk away before turning back to face me, seeming to see something that she hadn't before. "Sohma-kun, are you feeling well…? You've been a little pale recently."

It was strange – I could have almost sworn that the teacher actually had a hint of true concern in her voice as she spoke… or was it something else…? Either way, I neither wanted nor needed her _pity_!

"Yes, Sensei, I am fine." I spoke quietly, _prince_ like, and so she seemed content for now with my answer – adults always were when I _wanted_ to deceive them…

And so she left the room quietly, leaving me for a few moments, thinking to myself.

_I suppose it's time to pack now…_

So I left the room to be abandoned again, and left the school grounds, heading to Shigure's house for my last meal there, hopefully forever…

And so it's time to say goodbye to all that I have ever known for the last few years…

… If I could manage it…

***

As I walked through the Sohma owned forest towards the house I had lived in for the past four years, I almost felt a twinge of guilt and loss go through me – after all, this _had_ been the main place that I had been in during my healing process, even if my life here had turned into a lie…

And how was I going to tell them all about my choosing to leave without arousing their suspicions? My leaving would be a shock to them, especially gentle Honda-san. After all, neither she nor that cat had _any_ idea about what I had been going through over the past few months… over the last few _years_… and so my leaving would seem strange to them…

But I couldn't dwell upon any of that – I could _not_ let other people's opinions on the matter decide what _I_ was going to do! I had to take this step, this leap, to _heal_… and now I knew that being in Shigure's house would actually be _worse_ for my health that being at the main house… and so my decision was almost made for me…

As I reached the oak door I could feel my pale hand trembling – was _I really _that _nervous about entering the house _I thought briefly to myself before staring blankly at the door again.

I considered running from the house and asking Hatori to come and collect my things, and to explain to them all my reasons for leaving – the questions I knew I'd be unable to answer, but something deep inside me stopped my from fleeing. Yes, I may have had bad memories here, but it had never stopped me from going to other places I had had bad experiences at… it had never stopp3ed me from returning to Akito's wrath before, so why should it stop me now, against a cat, a mutt and a friend…?

So although my hand trembled considerably, I still placed it firmly upon the door handle, and pushed the door open silently, thankful that no one could see how pale I was as I entered the threshold to the house.

"I'm h-…" I almost spoke the word _home_ out loud… but I couldn't… Anyway, after today I would never call this place home again… "… I'm back…"

"Yuki-kun!" I heard Honda-san's merry voice come from the kitchen as she sang, coming out to greet me smiling. "You're back early today!"

"Yes, Honda-san, I- I had no duties today." I smiled at her, but for some reason I couldn't make the smile reach my eyes – I felt detached from my body, my emotions now I suppose…

That was it. I'd have to tell her _now_, otherwise I'd never be able to utter those words again – I didn't want to upset her… but It would only worry her more if I didn't tell her – telling her now was the lesser of two evils…

"U-umm… Honda-san…?" I asked quietly, unsure how to go about telling her this piece of news…

"Yes Yuki-kun?" She asked happily, still humming as she went back into the kitchen and began to chop up food for tonight's dinner… a dinner that I would never consume…

"I… I'm g-going back to the main house for a while… j-just family matters, b-but I just w-wanted to inform you, s-so that you d-didn't worry…" Gosh, why couldn't I stop bloody stuttering?!?

"Y-You're leaving…?" I could hear how heavy her voice was, and I knew it had come as a shock to her… but there was nothing that I could do about it…

"I'm sorry Honda-san… it's out of my hands… but I _will_ visit often, and you'll see me at school… you don't mind do you…?"

I could see tears forming in her eyes and I just wanted to hold her, comfort her… but I couldn't do that.

"D-do you really have to go…?" She asked; hope shining in her eyes for a moment, even though she knew it wouldn't last.

"Yes…" I sighed, and looked down, ashamed now.

"Then promise me you'll stay for dinner… okay…?" She said, determined now.

"I promise." I replied, going up to my room to pack, unaware that a shadow followed me there, waiting at my doorway…

* * *


	17. Omoidi

**Gomen. Gomen Gomen Gomen**

**I am so so so sorry for the long wait - I've just been so so so swamped with homework - I'm in my last year of english high-school and I didn't think I would have this much to do!**

**So I appologise for the lack of updates, and the slowness of future updates, but I hope all of you fabulous readers continue to stick by me!**

**Also, my muse is gone and I have writers block. :( Anyone who has any suggestions for this story PLEASE say, it will be GREATLY appreciated!**

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing ^_^**

**Kaé-chan**

* * *

"_Then promise me you'll stay for dinner… okay…?" She said, determined now._

"_I promise." I replied, going up to my room to pack, unaware that a shadow followed me there, waiting at my doorway…_

***

I walked up the stairs silently, my bare feet barely leaving a sound on the floor as I creeped past the others' rooms, unwilling to let them be notified on the fact of my return… yet…

Shigure's room… Kyo's room… Honda-san's room… the spare room… and my room…

No.

Not _my _room any more.

The entire house was in an eerie silence as I placed my hand silently upon the door handle and turned it, slinking into the room that was full of my belongings, but that wasn't mine…

'_Come on Yuki, if you get started now, then you can leave quicker…' _I encouraged myself as I walked completely into my room, leaving the door a crack open.

There wasn't much in my room, after all, I _point-black_ _refused_ to let anything be bought out of my Sohma account – I had made my mind up years ago never to dependent upon my 'Sohma account' – so although it was very empty and minimalistic, every single thing there had a certain sentimental value to it, whether the person who gave it to me knew it or not…

… Each item I possessed resembled some point in my life…

But for some reason, standing there, gazing at my past – all of it enclosed in one room – made me feel extremely lonely… it was almost as if I actually _missed_ the place I was about to leave… I suppose it made sense, in a weird, illogical way – after all this was the first place I had ever truly felt warm, and safe - with Honda-san – and I had even grown more comfortable around the cat – we had never got along well, even as young children, much to my disappointment, but _here_ in this house, with Honda-san we could actually go around for a few short days without the need for me to beat him in a fight…

And now I was leaving it all behind…

As I began to pack my belongings into the dark purple suitcase I possessed the first thing I came across was a set of plushies, all in the different Juunishi forms (the cat included). I remember the day I had received them as clearly as any other…

***Flashback***

_It was my thirteenth birthday, six months after I had moved into Shigure's, and I was looking forward to the one day of the week that I could have a lie-in… I had been dreaming of this day for _months_ now, due to the fact that I was always tired, and going around the house half-asleep always just made me even _more_ worn out! Then there was also the fact that just spending a day in bed, all warm and cosy seemed so attractive…_

… _But, of course that was never going to happen – fate __**had**__ to think up another plan for me that day, instead of letting me have one more measly hour in bed!_

"_YUUUUKIIIII MY FAVOURITE-IST BROTHER IN THE ENTIRE WOOOOOOOOOOOORLD!" Was what I was rudely awakened to on the morning of my thirteenth birthday, __**at five AM**__!!!_

"_Leave me alone…" I murmured, turning around in my bed, trying to drive the horrific sound from my ears._

"_But dearest brother – surely you don't mean that!" The idiot continued, obviously not caring to give me a bit of PRIVACY in my _**own**_ room! "On the morning of the great King Ayame's precious brother's birthday NOTHING can separate the two brothers from making their vows of loyalty to each other! Come; let us participate in the age-old rituals of opening the gifts bestowed upon the young Prince Yuki and the tradition of cake eating, made special by the fact I, Ayame is here!"_

_Could today get any worse…?_

"_And now, I shall bestow you with presents galore, in the hope to deepen our brotherly bond!"_

…_oops, I spoke too soon…_

_And so I was forced to endure Ayame 'bestowing me with presents galore' as I dreamed of being out of the room, preferably _**alone and sleeping**_._

_On the plus side (I think): He actually __**remembered**__ my birthday – something that he had never done before._

_On the negative side… he thought that it was my __**eighth **__birthday…_

_What I had received from my brother was a card with Pokémon on it, with a long-winded message from him about our 'brother ship' or something like that, a balloon with the words "Happy 8__th__ Birthday" on it, and a box gift-wrapped in the most frivolous wrapping paper I had ever seen. It was a pale lilac, with dark purple frilly ribbons decorating the entirety of it, and the most _ridiculous _bow I had ever seen – and all of this was decorated in tiny rats and snakes… (How he managed to find paper decorated like that I never did find out in the end)_

_After staring at the wrapping for about five minutes, gobsmacked, my brother must have grown impatient for he immediately came up to me again, trying to 'encourage' me to open it._

"_Yes, yes, I know my dearest brother on his 8__th--__"_

"Thirteenth._" I interrupted, but he ignored it._

"—_birthday is absolutely gobsmacked over the utmost generosity of his amazing elder brother, but really, little Yuki-kun should just open the humble gift, after all, none of us can take the tension anymore!"_

_None of us…?_

_As implying more than one person shared his opinion…_

"_Yeah, come on Yuki-kun, open it!" Shigure snickered from the doorway as I was pounced by Ayame._

Great… _*said sarcastically*_

_And so I opened the heavily wrapped present to reveal a set of ornament plushies, in the Juunishi and Cat, all in a circle, decorated in frivolous ribbons etc._

"_So, does my darling brother like the presents I have chosen to give him for his eighth--"_

"Thirteenth…_"_

"—_Birthday?" He asked, yet again getting my age wrong…_

… _But at least he had remembered that it _was_ my birthday…_

"_Yes… thank you niisan…"_

***End flashback***

In time they had become less distinct in my room, and for the last year had gathered dust in a closet, but now, looking at them after so many years, in such different circumstances I couldn't help but smile at it – it just seemed so strange to see plushies in a room that was owned by someone like me… cuddly toys in a room that belonged to a 'calm, shy boy, who doesn't seem to be the type to play'… I _think_ that was what my kindergarten teacher said at my parent-teacher conference once…

But either way, that gift from my brother meant a lot to me as a child – it was actually the first time he had truly acknowledged me in my youth, something for which had always puzzled me… If he was going to make such an effort _now_, then why had he never tried before…? Why had he never even _spoken _to me before that day, I mean, like a brother would, not just those little greetings that he gave people at new year's… for goodness sake even _Kyo_ got a better greeting than me those days… After all, my brother had _never _greeted me other that 'Hello." …

So I placed the plushies into my suitcase along with all of my clothes, and gradually emptied all of my cupboards into the suitcases…

… Then I came across something I had never thought that I'd see again…

… It was a jewellery box, crimson with gold lining around it, long and delicate – to fit a necklace in it.

***Flashback***

_I had been at the main house for six years, and for the last seven months, I had not spoken a word. Not one. Single. Word. Not when mother had tried to coax me (because she was being paid to force me to speak again) nor when Hatori had began to council me (and failed). In fact the only person who _hadn't tried_ to force me to talk was Akito…_

_So when he came one day to my room, I was surprised when he just sat next to me._

"_They say that your muteness has been caused by a childhood trauma…" He stated his voice slightly hoarse._

_Well, what could I say to that?_

_That _he _caused the trauma…_

_No, I was too scared to…_

"_And the, something someone said clicked…" He paused for a while then, and we both looked out of the window, my back still turned away from him, my breathing still calm – I was only half asleep, although he believed me to be completely asleep. "… It was me, wasn't it…?"_

_Time seemed to freeze after that, as I just let my breathing remain constant, and steady._

"_I caused it… even if I never meant to… I didn't mean to do _**this**_ to you…" He whispered, looking down at me. "And so I'm going to let you 'go'…"_

_I don't remember when he left, but when I woke up the box was in my hands._

_I didn't open it for a while, but when I did I was surprised by what was in it…_

***End Flashback***

… Inside was a beautiful locket, in platinum, and on it were engravings of the Juunishi animals, all in a circle, united. And on the back, engraved on it in calligraphy, was a phrase.

"_You are never truly alone…"_

But I knew that it wasn't a threat – it was meant as a comfort to me, even when I was desperately alone…

… But even then, eventually I had forgotten about it, unfortunately…

However now it brought me some kind of comfort.

Because even if Akito had grown more twisted and had forgotten about what he said that night, I never would forget…

… Not now, at least…

"What are you doing?" A voice from behind me asked.

I was so lost I couldn't help but lose control of myself…

… And so I transformed…

* * *


	18. Ketsuraku

**Hiya all. I'm sorry again for the long wait, BUT I've got my GCSE mocks up in a few weeks and so Its kinda hard for me to revise AND post up constantly, so I'm sorry.**

**Again, any ideas and/or comments you have are greatly appreciated.**

**Also, this is kinda a filler chapter as I'm shattered atm, so I 'm sorry if it dissapoints any of you...**

**Also 13 reviews for this chapter ^_^ The most so far ^_^ Thankyou so so much ^_^**

**Shall we try and make it 14 reviews this time?**

**lol :L:L:L**

**Your Random Writer**

**Kaé-chan**

* * *

"What are you doing?" A voice from behind me asked.

I was so lost I couldn't help but lose control of myself…

… And so I transformed…

*** Shigure's Point of view***

**Seven o'clock in the morning, the morning before the last scene.  
(I.e. when Yuki was asleep in Hatori's house [chapter 14])  
Shigure's study.**

He was gone.

Missing.

And I had no idea where he was.

_Yes_, I had seen him leave the house, worried.

_Yes,_ I had stared at him as he had left in a hurry, a smirk on my face.

_Yes_, I reached for the telephone as he glanced up and realised that I was looking.

_Yes_, I had recreated his worse fears and dialled the number to the main house, my intentions all directed towards calling dear Akito-sama to tell 'him' of Yuki's disobedience, in the hope of personal favour with our god…

… But someone had blocked my number from the main house!

Some blasted _idiot_ had cut me off from 'snitching' to Akito.

And there was only one person who cared about little Yuki-kun enough to do something so underhand.

And I was going to call him now – to ask, no _demand_ that he re-instate my number to Akito's _ASAP_ – preferably _before_ Yuki returned from his 'excursion'.

How _dare_ he begin to get all emotional about this situation – he knew as well as any of us that we can't go against Akito's orders _directly_, and yet still he attempts in futile to protect Yuki – he really should just give up – it would make it _much_ more easy for me to figure out what the secret is – even though I knew that I would find it out no matter what!

'_Hello?' _Hatori's weary, stern voice spoke through the phone, having obviously not looked to see who was calling.

"Haa-san! How are you?" I asked in fake 'light' tones, not knowing who might be listening – I had put a mild sedative in the milk last night, knowing that Kyo often came down in the middle of the night to drink from it, but I had no idea if it had worn off, or if Tohru-kun was up and about yet.

'_What do you want?' _He asked, his tones now _much_ more sharp now, all his focus on the conversation, automatically assuming that I would begin to tirade him with continuous questions.

Which, of course, I would – what else would a deviously handsome 'dog' such as I do?

"Oh Haa—san, so suspicious, so suspicious" I laughed falsely again, just to annoy him this time.

'_Well?'_

"Why, Haa-san, last night I was just phoning dear Akito-sama, in the hope of some polite banter – seeing as Ayame is away and you don't talk to me anymore!*fake sob*…"

'_And you realised that you couldn't get hold of Akito?' _He asked, and I could almost _imagine_ him raising an eyebrow, not amused by what I was saying.

"So it _was_ you!" I accused, keeping up the pretence that I hadn't known before. "But why, Haa-san, _why_?"

'_Why would you _want_ to call Akito at such a time?'_ He asked in turn.

"Why little Yuki-kun has gone missing of course! As the head of the family, Akito-sama _has_ to know first about his disappearance!" I explained to him as if he was a five-year-old.

'_So you wanted to snitch to Akito then?'_

Okay, plot seen through… gosh in my old age I _must_ be getting slower…

'_Well, you can't – I've already spoken to him.' _He continued, his voice dripping with contempt toward me - so much so that I was shocked by it – Ha'ri after all was very rarely truly angry and malicious.

"What do you mean?"

'_I _mean_ that Yuki is with me, and Akito knows. As far as he's concerned Yuki has been here since yesterday evening – and he will believe no tale from you now, trust me.'_

"Well, _that_ certainly spoils my fun then, doesn't it Haa-san." I replied, abandoning all pretences – Tohru wouldn't come up – I had told her I was making 'important' calls, and as long as I wasn't bugging Tohru then Kyo would just ignore my absence, and bask in the absence of Yuki – who would miss him after all?

And so as I half-listened to what Hatori was saying I continued to write in my notebook, knowing what affect my actions would have… and not caring.

***Kyo's Point of View…***

**5 minutes earlier.  
Kyo's room.**

December 13th.

That was one of the strangest days in my life, where everything seemed wrong – well, three things to be more specific… **(The other two things will be mentioned later in this chapter, or in the next one, for reference)**

I woke up, not at the crack of dawn like I usually do, but at seven o'clock – hell, it seemed as though even the damn rat had managed to get up earlier than me! (I had checked in his room, hoping for another fight - you know, just in case he let his guard down and I could finally beat him…)

I walked down the stairs carefully; slightly concerned that he was launching an attack on me today. (I mean, come on – when has Yuki ever been _out of his room_, let alone _conscious_ before breakfast? It's just one of those things that pisses me off so much!)But I heard nothing from him, nor that baka Inu either, which was strange – usually Shigure is pestering Tohru into being his 'little housewife' or something perverted along those lines.

But nothing.

Zilch.

If it wasn't for Tohru's gentle humming you wouldn't think anyone else lived here…

"Oh hello Kyo-kun!" She chirped happily as I entered the kitchen to see what she was making for breakfast.

"Hey." I replied, moving to the rice cooker to help her.

"Kyo-kun, would you mind waking Yuki-kun up?" She asked happily – I mean _honestly_ she **must **have realised by now that _me_ waking _Yuki_ up was a bad idea.

So I was glad that he was already awake, and apparently out.

"He's not there." I grunted, moving back into the lounge. "Have you seen that baka Inu?"

Tohru's face scrunched up in confusion before it brightened – showing that she had realised who I was talking about – it wasn't as if there were _many_ dogs living around here…

"Oh! Shigure! Yes! He said that he was making some important calls this morning and not to be disturbed." She replied, her innocent voice not showing any sign that she was curious about what Shigure was phoning about – and knowing Tohru as I did, she probably _wasn't_ curious at all.

But I was the cat, and as they say 'curiosity killed the cat…'

And I _had_ to find out what was going on.

As I reached his study door, I heard Shigure talking, but it wasn't in his usual perverted 'happy-go-lucky' tones.

No, he sounded _much_ more sinister…

"Well, _that_ certainly spoils my fun then, doesn't it Haa-san!" He spoke quietly, menacingly, and I took a half-step back, wondering what Shigure was talking about.

"You can't stop me!" He half-snarled, half-laughed, and I couldn't help but take a step back, making sure I wasn't heard. "I have Akito's backing!"

What did Akito's 'backing' have to do anything with all of this…?

The only thing that Akito would ever get actively involved with… The only _person_ he would get actively involved with was Yuki.

And he wasn't here.

Did that mean that he was at the main house…?

With Akito…?

"Why did you do _that_ Hatori?" Shigure almost shouted, before realising something and simmering down a tone or two. "You know it will only make Akito _angrier_ not to be able to see him when he's so close… so that's why you did it? You really_ do_ have to spoil all my fun, don't you?"

He then giggled.

_Giggled_.

At the expense of the damn rat.

For some reason, something inside me was annoyed at that… and actually being annoyed at it just made me even _more_ annoyed at myself.

I couldn't stand to listen to the damn mutt anymore.

"Come on Tohru, we're going to school." I told Tohru as I walked through the door, stopping to put on my shoes.

"B-but what about Yuki-kun?" She asked in that adorable manner of hers.

"He's meeting us there." I lied, glad that no concern was shown in my voice – keeping up appearances was what was important. He was still family, in a distant sense, even if he was the damn rat… just because I hated him didn't mean I actually wished for him to be harmed by another.

It was okay me wishing him harm by my own hands – _everyone_ knew it would never happen, he was just too strong.

And so I let myself fall into the façade of calamity as we walked to school, and hearing Tohru's rhythmic voice made me able to smile gently, not noticing the people around me.

I only even vaguely noticed the black BMW that came up at the school gates – and I didn't even look at _that_ long enough to see who exited the car…


	19. Arashi

**Okay, It's been a month since I last updated.... *hides from all your glares* I'm sorry, okay? I've had exams, and writers block (as you'll be able to tell from my writing lol)**

**So, yeah, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and review.**

**Okay, how about a deal - if I get FIFTEEN reviews or more (reviews are like sugar to me) I'll update on the 27th of December.**

**If I get TEN reviews or more I'll update on the 31st of December.**

**Is that okay?**

**Hopefulyl my writers block will be destroyed by your fabulous reviews!**

**One more thing - this is part two of three with Kyo's POV in it, to fill in plot holes I have spotted, and so after that we shall have the plot line back - and I have some evil ideas.**

**I am also putting up summaries on stories I'd like to post after I've FINISHED Obedience, and so please read them, adn then vote on which stories you would like me to begin/continue writing. Thankyou.**

**Kaé-chan.**

* * *

_I only even vaguely noticed the black BMW that came up at the school gates – and I didn't even look at that long enough to see who exited the car…_

**Kyo's Point of View, thirty minutes before Yuki returns to school.**

The second strange thing that day was when I was called for via the intercom, in the middle of my third lesson of the day, just before lunch.

* * *

I was sitting there, in the classroom, bored out of my mind, waiting as the clock ticked teasingly to the time when I could get out of this lesson, English, I thought lazily to myself as I watched the rain start to patter down the window panes, and as something black fell from the sky onto the ground outside…

**(No… wait, that's **_**Death Note, **_**not **_**Fruits basket**_**… Maybe I should start that section again… [That shows how I get after suffering from writers block for ages! lol])**

* * *

I was sitting there, in the classroom, completely bored out of my mind as I watched the white clock torturously make its way to the time where I could escape to lunch, and be in a lesson with Tohru again after that (at least _she _made lessons that little less boring…) .

And the rain that kept thundering down the window panes didn't help my concentrations either – after all, I always got groggy on days like this… and the teachers seemed to know that and _specifically_ pick on me, when I would rather skip school totally. (And often I did)

"Kyo, will you read out the passage we were just studying please?" Mayu-sensei called out, **(**_**Death Note **_**reference again… it seems now that I'm just quoting stuff from that now… hmm… time to start using original material…. Hmmm….) **earning my groans as I slowly got up, to the amusement of both her and the rest of the class.

"'Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house', was what the old man said to the younger one…" I began to read out, my voice slurred slightly due to the effects of the rain.

Thankfully though I was saved by the intercom.

_Will Kyo Sohma of class 3D please come to the main office, I repeat, will Kyo Sohma of class 3D please come to the main office._

I grinned to myself as I reached down to grab my stuff.

"Well, are you going? Hurry up!" The teacher, Mayu-sensei barked from her desk as I then quickly swept up all of my books into my bag and walked out of the class as quickly as I could – anything to get out of English. "Oi! Close the door after you!"

_SLAM_

I shut the door, a little too forcefully.

"NOT THAT LOUD!" She called after me as I went to the main office, trying to keep myself calm… and failing miserably, causing the school cat to peer out of its closet, concerned.

And so I was in a bad mood, not just because I was being picked on while it was raining.

After all, if anyone was going to be wanting me at this time, it would be someone from the main house, probably Hatori, and if I was already riled when I saw him, his infuriating calmness would just make me even _more_ mad.

"Yo. Someone wanted to see me." I went up to the main office and spoke to the receptionist a blond who had just come out of some single-sex school down the , (it had been all she had spoken about over the last few weeks), my hands still in my pockets, glaring at anyone who so much as _glanced_ at me. (A list which included three receptionists, an art teacher and some unfortunate governor who had made a comment to his wife about how kids kept '_dyeing their hair_'…)

"Are you Kyo Sohma?" She asked, to which I nodded as she checked her notices. Gosh, couldn't she just _remember_ why the person, whoever they were, wanted to see me?!? Well, I suppose this showed quite a bit about her IQ and why she had chosen to take a job rather than go to university… "Ah yes, he's in room 2A, go down the corridor and take the second…"

"I _know_ where bloody room 2A is!" I snapped at her patronising tones as I stormed out of yet another room in this godforsaken school and into the corridor that led to room 2A.

_Okay, so go down the corridor and take the second… Left… or was it the second right?_

So maybe I _hadn't_ known where the room was – but I was never going to let any of _them_ know that, was I?

In the end though, I wished that I _hadn't_ found the room.

Because _he_ was in that room, 2A.

Akito.

To be honest, I'd rather be fighting, and loosing to that damn rat than with Akito at that moment – at _any_ moment, I would have said if I had given it any more thought…

Because he was _furious_, _that_ could be seen immediately.

And I could tell that he would release that anger upon me – the insane look in his dark eyes showed that to me, as he leaned against the open window, the rain pattering down behind him.

There was going to be a storm today, both outside the room… and inside of it.

"Ohayou, mai sashou kakemono… **(Good morning (Informal) My little monster)**" He spoke cruelly, his eyes like those of a predator as he stared at me, daring me to rebuke what he was saying…

"Ohayou-gozaimasu **(good morning, formal)**, Akito-sama." I greeted him, trying to hide the instinctive loathing of him from his sharp eyes – after all, it would only end up in my own pain if he discovered my emotions…

But I knew that he would discover my emotions – he always did.

"How have you been, Kyo-kun?" He asked, his entire body language waiting to pounce at the moment I said something that displeased him in the slightest. "How have they _all_ been, at that house?"

Was he trying to find out about Tohru-kun?

"Well, Shigure's been acting like… well _Shigure_ and Tohru-kun's fine, I'll tell her that you asked after her…" I replied politely, wondering why his eyes had darkened by the time I had finished the sentence.

"And _Yuki_-kun…?" He prompted, practically growling now, his eyes ferocious.

"Why the hell should I go around looking to see how the damn rat is? I hate him – he's _worthless_!" I spat out, annoyed – he always classed Yuki first - and for some reason my verbal hatred of the rat just made him angrier – I mean, didn't he _want_ me to hate Yuki… and so hate him I did…

And for that unknown reason I found his hand around my throat, as he spun me around, so that he was now facing the window, and I towards the door.

"Don't talk like that." He hissed at me, looking deep into my eyes – so deep I could have sworn he could see right into my heart – my _soul_ if such things were possible. "Fine, then, I'm sure you can at least tell me where Yuki-kun is – I'm sure you are not _that_ stupid to not know where he is – you go to the same school after all, and _live _together…"

I was getting _really_ pissed off by his tones – I knew that I shouldn't have spoken back… but something inside me _forced_ me to…

"Why the hell should I know where the damn rat is?!?" I shouted at him, glaring at his darkened features, and his pale skin. "Go and ask the secretary – she'd know more than ME!" (Actually that would be a lie but… ah well…)

"I've already asked the incompetent staff of this institution…" He snapped back at me, and in that moment I actually _feared_ for my life… it made me wonder actually how strong Akito was… "…_and they have no idea where he is…_ Now, TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!"

At that moment I swirled around for a moment, and saw the rat in question standing at the door, having been struck speechless, and knowing he couldn't run away.

And I smirked at that.

"Your little play-thing is right behind you…" I snarled at Akito, and I smirked again as I saw Akito tense up in some emotion I couldn't tell for a second…

Then he stepped up to me, and for a moment I saw how wild his eyes were…

… Then I was staring at his feet, having been shoved down onto the floor by him

How was someone who was meant to be _ill_ get to be so strong? Well, this room would never be the same again, I could tell that, as I tried to block out the pain.

"Don't talk about him like that!" A snarled at me, much to my surprise (I mean,. _Come one, _when has Akito _ever_ defended Yuki, even to _me_, the **cat**?), as his foot connected with my private area, causing me to shout out in pain.

And that wasn't the most embarrassing thing about the situation, not really, when you think about it…

Because Yuki was there…

And he saw me in that state…

"Please don't…" A voice – _his_ voice whispered…

What? Why did _he_ of all people say that…?


	20. Ryoukaku

**Hia all - like I promised - another chapter. For the last one, i had the most reviews so far - 14!!! So thank you to all who have taken the time to review - it really does mean alot to me!**

**So yeah, Chapter 20 now - I never expected to get this far lol.**

**So, update deal.**

**If I get 10+ reviews - 20th of January.**

**15+ reviews - 13th January.**

**Please enjoy.**

**Kyae (formally kaytii)**

**lol I changed my penname.**

* * *

_And that wasn't the most embarrassing thing about the situation, not really, when you think about it…_

_Because Yuki was there…_

_And he saw me in that state…_

"_Please don't…" A voice – _his_ voice whispered…_

_What? Why did _he_ of all people say that…?_

**Kyo's POV**

As soon as Yuki spoke Akito swilled around, and although I couldn't see what was crossing our 'God's' face, I could tell that it wasn't good, due to Yuki's widened eyes.

But I realised I was still in danger – after all, I was on the floor, and vulnerable to Akito's kicks, and so I edged backwards while he wasn't looking.

But then what Yuki said after that froze me where I was:

"… H… he's not worth it… A-Akito-sama" He whispered, and although his voice was shaking, and he had curled in slightly inwards his eyes… they were different… stronger almost… Like they were when he was fighting me…

Then Akito's attentions were turned to me, and his glare wasn't something I'd ever want to be under again, I can tell you _that _easily…

"Oh yes he is, little Yuki-kun." Akito promised through gritted teeth as he glared at me, pure hate going through his eyes, and I couldn't help but shudder under the intense hate he was directing towards me – I had never felt such hate even from Yuki… was this what it meant when someone hated you with all their heart, all their strength and all their soul…?

Well if this was that, then what was the hate _Yuki_ felt for me…?

And what was the hate that _I_ felt for _him_…?

I looked at Yuki briefly then – anything to get out of Akito's death glare, and I saw conflicting emotions reflect upon his face – hate, pity... and an uncontrolled rage… almost as if he _wanted_ me to be hurt…

But that emotion was soon gone, and for some reason I was deeply relieved… It just didn't seem right for Yuki of all people to be that twisted…

Then my attention was directed back towards Akito, as he continued speaking to me, and Yuki.

"He has been disobedient, and has laughed when his fellows could have been _DEAD_ for all he knew!" Akito explained, and if this had been in any other situation, I might have laughed at his logic…

… But being on the floor, his foot near my groin, ready to strike, drastically changed my perspective on what I would laugh or remain silent at.

Then I realised that Akito was going to hit me again.

"Akito-sama…" I watched in shock as Yuki grasped onto Akito's arm, to stop him from hitting me, and, to my surprise, he actually managed to stop Akito from contacting his fist with my nose. I-I was so… surprised that I couldn't help but tremble a little – that would be my story anyway… "Please, Akito-sama… don't…"

"Why shouldn't I?" He snapped back, glaring at me ferociously, and I knew then if it wasn't for Yuki still clinging on Akito's arm, I would be a bloody wreck at that moment. "Why should I show him what it's like to be someone else?"

Who?

Then Yuki whispered something into Akito's ear, and although I didn't know what he said (and I doubted that I would _ever_ find out) it seemed to affect him, and gradually his grip upon me loosened, before he turned around gracefully (almost) his sneer still on his face as he turned his look to Yuki, who shivered slightly. (Not that I would blame him)

"Come on Yuki-kun…" His silken voice came out easily, but underneath it there were tones of menace – tones that silently told me that Yuki _couldn't_ disobey – even if he tried to… after all, in front of me, the cat Yuki had to support our 'god' completely – otherwise the eons old laws that were set would be upturned… well, to the Juunishi, that's how it felt; even if _the_ world wouldn't be destroyed, _our _world would be… If he disobeyed his God…

"Yes Akito-sama." He replied immediately as he followed Akito out of the classroom, leaving me to groan in pain as the full impact of Akito's kick became registered in my head.

_Damn rat – couldn't he have at least helped me up…?_

But then I realised he had helped me a lot more than one would first think – after all, although I wouldn't wish to admit that I knew, he had saved me from a worse beating… if he hadn't have held onto Akito's arm.

Well, let's just say that I wouldn't look the way I did now – Akito's actions, had Yuki not been there, would have cost me a visit to Hatori – and _that_ would have been annoying to have to be lectured by him – I _knew_ that I had to be respectful to Akito – but the cat inside me rebelled constantly against that – and I was hardly going to go against that was I?

So, five minutes later, as soon I was sure I could walk again, I got up and strode out of the school, laughing bitterly to myself as the headmaster shouted for me to get back into school. I could have actually laughed in his face for that – after all, as if _school_ was the worst of my problems!

And, even though the rain was thundering down upon me violently as I walked through the woods to Shigure's house, I didn't care. Admittedly, yes I had had to stop under the shelter of trees more than once, and by the time I got back, Tohru was already there, having rushed home to start our tea, but to be honest I was more preoccupied by the contradicting thoughts colliding in my mind.

On the one hand, I was the _cat_. I was meant to hate Yuki – I had known nothing else… It had been etched into me ever since the beginning of my pitiful life, when I had heard my father tell my mother that he wished that I hadn't been born – _any_ spirit would have been better than the cat…

And no one else had ever told me any different about the rat. All I had ever heard and read had shown me that the rat was a treacherous, vile creature, and shouldn't be trusted – he was too loyal to the Kami spirit for that.

And when I had met him for the first time – his perfection drove me insane. His perfect snow-white eyes and his pale grey hair that framed his face. And the way he spoke, even at seven… the perfection it oozed – why couldn't _I_ have been like that?!?

Why couldn't I have been born the rat…?

And that was why I hated him… I knew that now… because I was jealous of him…

But on the other hand – a side I couldn't help – part of me wanted to be _closer_ to Yuki… to help him… to protect him… and that too was part of the spirit inside me, as well as part of my own views. Everything about Yuki drew me in, curiously, like the cat I was – in fact it drew in _all_ of us Juunishi, and even Akito to an extent, I believe. Why else would he favour Yuki so, if he didn't feel the same 'pull' that we all did…?

Even now, seeing him through the window to his room, the grace in his body both made me sick, and inspired something inside of me – how was it that I could have such conflicting views?

It was so annoying!

"Hey Tohru!" I called as I entered the house, kicking my shoes onto the pile on which they lived.

"H-hey K-Kyo-kun" Was her reply – but something was strange…

Was Tohru _crying_…?

I rushed into the kitchen and saw her there, cooking our dinner, tears trickling down her face.

"Tohru – what's wrong?" I asked as I went up to her gently.

"I-It's Y-Yuki-kun…" She whispered, and my eyes narrowed.

What had he done now?

But she seemed to anticipate my reaction.

"H-he hasn't done anything t-to me…" She whispered, and buried her face in me, while I made sure that she wasn't actually hugging me.

"Then what's happened?" I asked gently.

"H-he h-has to l-leave…"

Suddenly, everything made sense.

Why Akito had been looking for Yuki…

Why Yuki had been gone for the house so often…

And why we had been fighting less…

Then a memory came to mind…

"_Hey, Shigure!" it was a few weeks ago, and I had been looking for Yuki – we hadn't had a fight in a few days, and for some reason I just __**felt**__ like fighting him… "Have you seen that damn rat anywhere? He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth!"_

"_Don't be ridiculous!" Shigure's annoying voice called out from his office, his laughter ringing out over the house, automatically causing __**anyone**__ to suspect him of something… "He's just left you know!"_

"_Where is he going…? Maybe I can catch him up and have that re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-(you get the idea – I'd lost to him so many times I doubted that it was physically possible to count the number of "re-'s" I'd need.) re-match on his way there!"_

"_Kyo, no. I think it's best if you just leave Yuki alone. You can always fight him when he gets back on Monday you know… and I'm sure that he will be in a weakened state then…" I was suspicious then, but I couldn't help but let a bit of happiness into my mind – Yuki was __**never**__ weak – maybe now I'd actually have a chance of winning!_

"_What? Why?" I asked curiously._

"_Why will he be weaker…?" He muttered, his voice changing to one of almost menace – one that made me shudder. "Because he is going to be at the main house for the weekend…"_

Why didn't I _think_ about how odd it sounded at the time?

Because it was only now that I realised what 'going to the main house' meant – what it truly meant…

It meant going to Akito.

"I'll go and talk to him, okay Tohru?" I comforted, letting go of her slowly.

"O-okay K-Kyo-kun… j-just don't fight him... o-okay…?"

"I won't – not this time." I promised – after all, if I wanted answers, then fighting wouldn't be the way to get them – even _I_ knew that!

I walked up to his room slowly, and saw that it was slightly open…

"What are you doing?" I asked him as I saw him packing stuff into his suitcase.

Something must have been on his mind, because my intrusion had shocked him enough for him to transform.

But when I saw him, there was something strange there…

Because on top of his cloths, right next to where Yuki in rat form was standing…

Was something round…

Something that looked oddly familiar…


	21. Tairitsu

**Wow - such a response from you all! I think I got 14 reviews in the first DAY!**

**And, like promised - the nest chapter of obedience!**

**For 15+ reviews, say the 23rd of January? - ****10+ reviews, the 30th of January?**

**Also - I discovered today that I've been working on obedience for 6 months and 10 days ^_^ I was like 'wooooow'.**

**Also, I've named all the chapters again with japanese words, if you wanna know the meanings, just tell me.**

**Oh, and just so you all know, this is both an 'angst' AND a 'hurt/comfort' fic - which implys HEALING... and so there will be a happy ending...**

**So, after I've finished Obedience, me and another wonderful writer TabbyPrincess are working together to write an AU version of "Obedience", where Yuki is corrupted by Akito, rather than healing... Its c alled 'Dark realities' I think, so please check it out when the chapters released ^_^**

**Please enjoy**

**Kyae**

* * *

_But when I saw him, there was something strange there…_

_Because on top of his cloths, right next to where Yuki in rat form was standing…_

_Was something round…_

_Something that looked oddly familiar…_

_***_

**Yuki's POV – we're back to the main story-line now lol**

It was over…

He knew…

He knew about the chocker…

No.

The _collar_…

I looked down at my hand – _paws_ carefully.

For the first time in my life, I really had no idea what to do.

The ice prince, the _perfect_ Yuki Sohma was speechless… and hopeless.

Even when I was in the dark – in _that room_ I had some idea – some small plan or hope to get me through the torture, even if it would fail…

But now…

I felt as if I had been stripped naked. (No pun intended – I have _fur_ covering me at the moment)

I was pathetic…

"Yuki…?" I looked up to see the tall form of Kyo gazing at me with a strange look in his eyes. Curiosity… and _pity_… and _understanding_… What did he understand? What would he _ever_ understand?!?

What could he understand of my life…?

Nothing – his was so different from mine, and always would be…

"What do you want?" I asked back quietly, not daring to look at him for fear of his reaction.

"Umm… I saw Tohru downstairs… she's _crying_… why are you leaving?"

Ah, so it's the typical curiosity… or is it…?

He doesn't sound the same as he usually does… empty… as if he doesn't really care… and even when he's demanding answers with an emotion; it's usually during fights… And the emotion is anger… But now… he's actually employing _diplomacy_…

How odd…

How unlike him.

But I couldn't tell him the reason as to why I was leaving – I knew _that_ well enough, and so should he. I didn't owe him _anything_, nothing at all.

Not now, not ever.

"It's none of your business." I muttered, walking away from him (which was extremely hard due to the fact that I was tiny, in rat form, and the only place I could walk off to was the other end of my bedroom).

"Yes it is you damn rat!" He called to me, causing me to have to cover my little pointed ears. Gosh, the stupid cat needs to remember that when we're in our forms – _he doesn't need to shout_ _to get his point across!_

"Sorry…" He said, in a quieter voice this time, one much more pleasant to my ears, thank goodness.

_At least he's learning now…_

"Look, it is our business Yuki. We live here, with you, no matter what our thoughts on those arrangements are, and now you're just up and leaving us all without a word or warning! What are we supposed to think? What is _Tohru_ supposed to think Yuki?"

"Honda-san knows that she hasn't done anything wrong – she accepts that I have to leave…" I protested, not looking at him, for fear he'd discover my words to be hopes – not facts, but he cut me off before I could finish.

"Really? Does she _understand_ why you have to leave though? Does anyone other than you?!?"

"I don't know…" I confessed bitterly, before looking into his round red eyes. "But I _do_ know that I need to get out of here, it's not helping any of you, my being here… and it's _destroying_ me. Look, it's not your fault, or Honda-san's fault, so you needn't get all martyr-like or anything… It's not your fault…"

"So Shigure's done something?" He guessed, and as I watched it was almost as if something had dawned upon him, as if he were remembering something…

***

**Kyo's POV**

"So Shigure's done something?" I was only guessing, but as soon as I said it, it all made sense…

That phone call with Hatori…

What he had said to me about Yuki going to the main house a few weeks ago…

Why Yuki had been missing last night, and this morning…

Why Akito had come into school…

And why he was leaving now.

So Shigure hadn't had _something_ to do with the pain Yuki was in – he had had _everything_ to do with it.

So why wouldn't the damn rat – why wouldn't _Yuki_ admit it

***

**Yuki's POV**

"M-Maybe…" I replied softly, almost too afraid to say even that out loud, but I saw that instantly he became annoyed with me… but of course he would – he would think that I was trying to get one over on him, not that I was actually too scared to answer his query…

"What is your problem you damn rat?!?" he asked, moving closer to me, when he noticed something on the floor, on top of the pile of clothes that I had been wearing…

_That_ thing…

Picking it up between his thumb and forefinger gingerly he looked at it with a strange mix of emotions, fascination… puzzlement… confusion…

But at some point he must have made a connection, or at least realised enough to make a hypothesis on what was happening… enough to ask questions, unfortunately…

"What is this Yuki…?" he asked slowly, softer and I was actually surprised at his tones. Maybe he had actually realised more than I had presumed he would… Maybe I had underestimated his reaction…

"Isn't it obvious…?" I asked, slightly bitterly, looking down so he couldn't see my emotions… so he couldn't see how ashamed I was, how terrified…

Because what I was most scared about in this moment was that he would laugh at me… reject me…

That he would take advantage of me when I was at one of my weakest moments…

Because, even when we turned off all emotions to fight, I never took advantage of _his_ weaknesses. I may have pointed them out continuously, but I never attacked them. And when I did want to end a fight quickly, I would always go for quick attacks that would cause the least amount of pain and humiliation. As the rat, I was _expected_ to always beat him, the cat – so I did.

But me, the _true_ me – the real me, Yuki Sohma, didn't want him hurt, even if he had to lose – even if he had to _always_ lose…

And so I made sure that the attacks never gave him the pain I myself experienced when alone… in that room…

So I hoped he would show _me_ that small mercy in return.

He glared at me as I spoke, but then his features softened as he realised _how_ I was saying it.

He moved slowly, as if not to shock me, as he sat on my bed, tepidly, watching me closely.

And as he was still, I allowed myself to look at him, my rat eyes slightly narrowed, to protect myself.

"Why…?" Was all he asked, his cat-like red eyes full of confusion.

Poor, _innocent_ Kyo… he had been far more sheltered from the world's cruelties than I ever had. Even though he had been talked… _gossiped_ about by the adults, due to him being the cat, he hadn't been openly exposed to human cruelness… he hadn't seen how awful people could be when they let their darker side take over.

I, on the other hand, had seen it all too often with Akito, and even my mother at times… Akito, I could understand to an extent… Although I didn't know what it was, I knew something had made him turn to his darker side – I could pinpoint the day he had snapped…

The day he painted our walls…

The day _that room_ was created…

My mother on the other hand… well, I knew what made her act the way she had always acted, even if I hated it.

Greed.

My mother aspired to be well-known in the world, and to have riches, and houses, and a high position in the family. And so when she was cruel to me, I accepted it. And when she sold me to Akito…

Well, I was never the same again…

I grew cold to the world, and all its kindnesses that never showed themselves to me…

And now mocked me continuously.

"Why? Because it's how the world works, Kyo." I told him. "How _our_ world works, anyway… I am more tied up than you are Kyo – believe it or not…"

I took a deep breath before continuing.

Because the time seemed right. I had never before really been able to tell anyone about my past – it had always been the wrong time, or I hadn't been ready… or I didn't trust the person enough. But now, with the Cat… _Kyo_… I decided it was time to tell someone part of what I had been through – maybe then I could finally free part of me that was locked away in ice…

"I'm the rat… I was the first there… but to me that is what makes it all the more a curse for me… I'm the 'closest' to God… and that's why I was brought to Akito when young I suppose… but it's also why I was kept close to him… and why, when he snapped, it was _me_ to whom his anger and frustration was taken out upon." I whispered, watching the shock upon his face grow as he realised part of what I had had to suffer through.

"What do you mean…?" he asked. It was almost as if he were beginning to accept it all, and realise…

Realise that I was actually more like him then he would at first like to admit…

_*POOF*_

Immediately Kyo turned away, embarrassed, and I grabbed my clothing… but I left the collar off. It felt weird not to have it on… but good too.

Then I turned to Kyo, who was looking at me expectantly.

I looked down for a moment, thinking about how to approach it before telling him what had happened.

"Do you remember a time, before I moved out of the main house, where I would not speak?" I asked softly, holding the collar in my small, elegant hands, looking at it, and he nodded. "W-well… he caused that… H-he… well he was a fan of using his fists… among things…"

"Yuuuuukiiiii-kuuuuun! Kyooooooooooo-kuuuun!" Honda-san's voice called us from downstairs. "Shigureee-saaan! Dinner's ready!"

But Kyo didn't look as if he had heard – he was staring directly at me.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, and when I didn't reply he elaborated. "… For judging you without knowing…"

"I'm sorry too… for committing the same crime…" I replied, and he stood up, making to leave the room. "Urmm… Kyo?"

"Yes…?" He turned to face me, as I held out the collar shakily.

"W-would you put this back on me… I-I have to go to the main house straight after dinner… and Akito-sama wouldn't be happy if it was off… Not happy at all…" I whispered, looking down.

"Sure." He muttered as he lifted up my hair and placed it on, looser than Akito had before, allowing me to breathe easier – he must have realised that I was suffering from wearing it so tight. "Let's go down now."

I followed him slowly out of my room, but as soon as I got to the stairs, Shigure was there.

"Oooh – what is young Yuki-kun doing here?" He whispered to me, but I saw Kyo freeze at the bottom of the stairs – he too had heard, although Shigure had not intended him to. "How kind of you to grace us with your presence…"

I didn't have anything to say to that – to _him_ at all.

And so I just walked past him…

But I still caught that look on his face.

The one of unadulterated loathing.

* * *

**Okay, here's a hint about the next chapter - It's gonna be called "Sobaeru". Virtual cookies to whoever can guess it correctly ^_^**


	22. Sobaeru

**Okay, so chapter 22 here - on time as usual - 16 reviews thank you so so much ^_^**

**Urm, well again i'm gonna say - happy ending for this fic, because thats what the muse has forced me to do lol, but a more cruel fic later on!**

**Also, please go onto the poll on my page to vote for what stories youd like me to complete/start after obedience - I'd love your opinions so I can keep the support you've all given me. Thank you and enjoy.**

**Kyae/**

* * *

_I followed him slowly out of my room, but as soon as I got to the stairs, Shigure was there._

"_Oooh – what's Yuki-kun doing here?" He whispered to me, but I saw Kyo freeze at the bottom of the stairs – he too had heard. "How kind of you to grace us with your presence…"_

_I didn't have anything to say to that – to him at all._

_And so I just walked past him…_

_But I still caught that look on his face._

_The one of unadulterated loathing._

***

**Yuki's Point of View**

As I made my way downstairs, I could hear his irritating tones from behind me, probably commenting about my cold attitude or something – but I shut my brain off from hearing the exact words – I knew it would only depress me further – and today was meant to be a happy day of sorts. I was leaving this place that had caused me unease, and moving away, even if it meant that I was moving closer to Akito – physically at least…

But mentally, I knew I was beginning to fight his grasp…

"Make sure Tohru doesn't come upstairs, okay?" Kyo whispered me, as he stalked up the stairs, his red eyes full of an uncontrolled rage.

After looking up them worried, I made myself realise that I didn't_ want_ to know what Kyo would do…

And so I wished him luck as I went down to have my Last supper with Tohru, the cat, and the mutt.

***

**Kyo's Point of View**

There he was.

The idiot.

The one who had caused all this – intentionally, too, I knew deep down.

"Why are you back up Kyon---…?"

*SLAM*

"You bastard." I looked down at his slightly bleeding face, disgusted with him.

"What was that for?" He asked angrily, about to retaliate before I shoved him into a wall.

"Leave Yuki alone…" I hissed at him, making sure he understood my message clearly.

"Or what?" He half-snarled, half-smirked, laughing at my fury.

"I'll tell Akito – he may not like me, but I suspect that he'll hate _you_ more… when I tell him that is…"

At those words, Shigure instantly grew pale, his once slightly tanned skin now an icy white – and for a moment his eyes held a fear I had never seen in them before.

But then it was gone, and replaced by another emotion – a cold, calculating emotion.

"So the kitty-cat is trying to play in the big leagues now? Well, watch out – you might get burnt…"

But by then I was already far enough away from him to pretend that I hadn't heard his cruel words…

But I'd heed them – I'd heed them so much that it wouldn't be _me_ who would get burnt…

It would be _him_.

***

**Yuki's Point of View**

As I stood by the kitchen, a sudden unexplainable sadness filled me. Standing there, watching Tohru cook my last dinner here suddenly made me realise that not all my memories of here were bad. Some had been good, very good… some of my best… it was just a pity that by escaping from my _worst_ memories here that I realised I was leaving the good ones behind too…

But I knew that wouldn't stop me from leaving – I had promised myself that I would take my fate into my own hands. Yes, there were a few factors I couldn't control… but I was nearing adulthood now, and I needed to 'fly the nest' and begin my own life, not rely on others.

It's strange really… Never before had I thought about what I wanted to do when I had left education – I had realised that from a young age either my mother or Akito would choose what profession I would go into, in the end…

But now I felt lost – I knew that _I_ wanted to follow my own path, but I had no idea what that path would be.

I suppose it would be easy if I was especially gifted in one particular area – like Momiji with music, and Kyo with martial arts, but I wasn't… I was okay at _everything_, but not brilliant at anything…

"Hello Yuki-kun." Tohru's voice had a hint of surprise in it as she saw me – and I could tell instantly by her slightly red eyes that she had been crying a short while ago… I didn't mean, or want to make her upset by leaving… I didn't want to make my maternal figure weep for something that I was doing… but it couldn't be helped… could it? "Are you already packed?"

"Y-yes" Gosh, how hard it was to even put a few words together without feeling my throat clench up, emotion filling my voice… "I didn't have that much to pack in the end – a lot of my belongings will be taken by the van later, or I'm selling… I need a fresh start – a complete fresh start I suppose…"

Tohru nodded, but I knew that she was just as confused as Kyo had been. But this was different than with Kyo… Tohru was amazing, a wonderful person – and she had helped so many before to open up… but this was a matter that I didn't feel comfortable sharing with her, believe it or not…

What happened in the banquet stays in the banquet…

_The Juunishi have a special connection_… Maybe when that was said it meant not only the spiritual connection, but also a more _alive_ one… maybe it meant that we could tell each other things that no other would understand – after all, I had never anticipated that Kyo would understand at the beginning, but now, looking back on it, it seems almost _logical_ that he would understand a little what I had been through, even if he had never had such events happen to him…

"Oh…" She whispered, before trying to cheer us both up, smiling at me cheerfully, just as she would have yesterday, before she knew. "Do you want to help me cook Yuki-kun?"

…

Didn't she remember what my (lack of) culinary skills were like?

"I-I think that wouldn't be best… we wouldn't want to poison K—the cat now would we?" I smiled – after all, easy banter was easy to fake.

But now I think of it… maybe I _should_ help with the cooking…

Especially if a certain mutt would be eating with us…

And so I turned around, smiling at Tohru, thankful that she couldn't see the gleam that was now in my eyes.

"Honda-san… maybe I could help with the soup your making to go with the noodles… I'm sure I couldn't make that _too_ bad…"

Today we were having a western meal, soups made from the ingredients in my garden.

"Sure Yuki-kun – the pans are over there…" She replied naively, pointing to the hob. "Just stir them, and tell me when they start boiling."

"Okay Honda-san…" I replied, walking over to the pots – one big pan, one smaller one.

Shigure, you see, hated most vegetables, all in fact, other than tomatoes. So while Kyo, Honda-san and I were having vegetable (minus leek – it wasn't the correct season) soup before our noodles, Shigure was having one in his favourite tomato variety.

And so 'accidently' taking the lid off the pepper and tipping half of it in, stirring the taste in wasn't too hard…

Perfect.

A recipe for disaster.

***

**Kyo's Point of View**

I got to the dining room just as Tohru was setting up the table, whistling away.

"Hey." I greeted her, looking around and realising that Yuki wasn't in the room. "Where's the rat?"

"Yuki?" She replied, her eyes darting to the kitchen. "He's in the kitchen, helping with the soups…"

This is Yuki that we're talking about – the one _who can burn __**tea**__!_

What on earth is Tohru doing letting the rat within five metres of that kitchen.

Sure, he isn't a bad guy now, but _letting him in the kitchen_! That's practically _guaranteeing _a bad meal…

"Right…" Was all I decided was safe to answer with as I sat down at my side of the square table, noticing how someone had re-arranged the seating so that Shigure and Yuki were opposite each other, with Tohru and I on the sides next to them…

Gosh, the god's were _really _asking for a tension-filled meal if they had those two at the same meal together.

And sure enough, right on cue Yuki came out, looking at the wall, his fringe covering his expression from Tohru and I.

"The soups ready now…" his smooth voice spoke out, but behind it there was a hint of another emotion – one almost like amusement.

"I'll get it out now then!" Tohru beamed; obviously unaware that something was wrong.

"Is that my dinner I smell ready?" Shigure's whining voice cut through the air, instantly annoying both of us sitting at the table. "Tohru-kun, my little house-wife is sooo superb – don't you think boys? I might just steal her away…"

Shigure only stopped there because of the chopstick that was wedged into the wall, right where Shigure had just been standing, keeping his Kimono sleeve attached to the wall.

"Shut. Up." Yuki said softly, but dangerously, the anger in his voice brimming now before it settled, but I noticed him taking deep breathes, attempting to calm himself down before he killed Shigure.

"_Now_ look what you've done!" if possible, Shigure grew even _more_ annoying in that moment. "This is one of my best Kimono's – and now it's ruined!"

At times I really wish I was old enough to batter him.

"Shigure-san – dinner's read—y…" Tohru came bustling in the room to see a scene that would shock anyone, I suppose. Yuki was standing up at his side of the table, spinning his other chopstick between his fingers, daring Shigure to say another word. Shigure himself was pinned against the wall with the chopstick, and trying desperately to pull out said chopstick… and failing.

And me? Well, I was just standing there, not commenting on anything – which, believe it or not wasn't something I usually did.

"Good." Yuki turned around to face Tohru, his face now serene as he took the pan off Tohru and began serving into the bowls. "Thank you for making such a lovely dinner for my last night Honda-san."

"Oh! It's no problem… I mean I-it was no trouble at all…" Tohru blushed uncontrollably, hurrying off into the kitchen to grab more food for the table and to cool off.

Once she had returned, everyone began to tuck into their soup and noodles, and as I looked around I saw Shigure take a few mouthfuls of the soup, the puzzled expression on his face as he ate it making me curious.

Then something really odd began to happen.

"Aaaachooo!" Suddenly, through the light conversation between Yuki and Tohru, Shigure cut in with a sneeze. "Sorry… Aaaaachoooo!"

"Shigure-san, are you alright?" Tohru asked, beginning to panic again.

"Y-yes Tohru-kun… I'm fin—aaachooo!"

One look at Yuki's slight smirk as he finished his dinner instantly aroused my suspicions – what had the rat done to the dog?

"Honda-san, Hatori will be arriving in five minutes – I'm going to get my suitcase now…" he informed Tohru, completely ignoring Shigure's sneezing bout other than saying a few words in his usual melodic tones. " Shigure, you really shouldn't seek attention so – your letting Honda-sans wonderful soup go to waste."

And with that he left to go up the stairs, and, straining my ears, I could have sworn that I heard the faint sounds of Yuki's laughter under Shigure's rather loud sneezing…

Seeing Shigure embarrassed so really made my day.


	23. Hinotama

**Sorry for the long wait - but alas, the next chapter is here!**

**I'll either update on the 20th, or the 27th so yeah, feed my muse.**

**Also, please feel free to vote on my pole, currently the most people want me to start other stories Ive adopted, but YOU can change that ^^**

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**Kyae**

* * *

"_Honda-san, Hatori will be arriving in five minutes – I'm going to get my suitcase now…" he informed Tohru, completely ignoring Shigure's sneezing bout other than saying a few words in his usual melodic tones. " Shigure, you really shouldn't seek attention so – your letting Honda-sans wonderful soup go to waste."_

_And with that he left to go up the stairs, and, straining my ears, I could have sworn that I heard the faint sounds of Yuki's laughter under Shigure's rather loud sneezing…_

_Seeing Shigure embarrassed so really made my day._

***

**Yuki's Point of View**

I managed to drag down my stuff to the porch without any intervention, and then I sat down on the suitcase, looking out tiredly upon the stars, my I-pod on to pass the time.

_There, out in the darkness…_

_A fugitive running…_

_Fallen from god…_

_Fallen from grace…_

How was it that out of all the songs I had, it was this specific one that came on – one of the songs I could relate to most? I really _did_ feel as if I were a fugitive – out here at night, with my bags, waiting to escape… me, a person who had been under 'god's' shadow for a _very _long time… and was now breaking free.

_God, be my witness,_

_I never shall yield_

_Till we come face to face…_

_Till we come face to face._

That too, seemed right… I was at a point of my life where I didn't want to run away from my fears any more – even if at times I had to escape – and now I wanted… no, _needed_ to speak to Akito – _face-to-face_… to tell him what I needed… Well, if I ever gained the courage to at least.

_He knows his way in the dark –_

_Mine is the way of the Lord…_

_Those who follow the path of the righteous,_

_Shall have their reward…_

There it was again – the warning that had kept cropping up over my life – from my parents, my relatives, even Akito himself – if you obey god, and follow his path… then you won't get harmed. Of course, it's all covered up to make it look pretty, and appealing – but its there, under the lines, where humans choose not to look… but its there.

_And if they fall as Lucifer fell…_

Like how the cat fell – how _Kyo_ fell from the Juunishi god's graces…

_The flame, the sword…_

It was almost like a cautionary tale, this song. It may have been written for a police officer to sing about a criminal, but the words in it were just as relevant to my life – to the Juunishi's life.

About halfway through the song Hatori's black BMW drove up to the house, and the man himself came out, silently, grabbing some bags and placing them in the boot of the car.

"Does Tohru-kun and Kyo know about your leaving?" He asked in a monotone, his eyes flicking up at Shigure's window for a moment with distaste – obviously Shigure had been spying on me, and now the both of us while he had been inside his study.

"Yes, and I don't believe any of them will ask too many questions now… I had to lie though…"

I had to lie to _Hatori_ though, not Honda-san.

However, the other two teens at that house wouldn't ask questions despite my lack of clear explanation for my imminent absence. – Honda-san because she never pried into other's business, even when she was concerned about them, and Kyo because he already knew _everything_ almost, and so didn't need to go around asking questions.

"Right." He replied, no emotion betraying what he thought of my answer. "And Shigure? He wasn't too hard?"

I smirked then slightly, as I recalled the events of that dinner, and told them to Hatori.

"I'm not going to let him get to me Hatori." I told the Doctor – and I meant the words completely. I wasn't _ever_ going to let Shigure Sohma get me upset or anxious again.

"Okay – get in the car then." He told me as we placed in the last of my belongings into the car.

_Stars…_

_In your multitudes._

_Scare to be counted…_

_Filling the darkness,_

_With order and light…_

How true that was too… As we drove through the night to Hatori's house, in the main estate I took comfort in the stars that were above me.

_You are the sentinels…_

_Silent and sure._

_Keeping watch in the night…_

_Keeping watch in the night._

Stars were always there, you see… always with us. Even when I was all alone, in _that_ room, I knew that somewhere, millions of miles above me, that the stars and heavens were there, looking down upon me, giving me light – _protecting me _from the darkness that Akito brought.

So I drew upon that comfort now as the car sped through the woods, counting each star – each _protector_ as I went along, drawing a little more comfort for each one that came along.

_You know your place in the sky._

_You hold your course and your aim…_

_And each in your season returns and returns._

_And is always the same…_

The stars would always return – the earth's rotation may make it appear that some of the stars had gone – abandoned me like humanity had… but there were other stars there, and science and logic told me that they would always come back for their turn to help me. And as I proved to myself that logic was right – that there were something's that even _Akito_ couldn't make bend to his will – then I grew stronger, day by day, hour by hour, second by second.

_And if you fall, as Lucifer fell,_

_You fall in flames…_

Sure, some stars would die – _everyone_ had to die at some point, but they wouldn't intentionally let their light out… and even if they did, they still left remnants of their glow for me – for some stars it took millions of years for scientists to discover that a star had died due to the length of time it took for the light to travel after all…

_And so it must be!_

_For so it is written._

_On the doorway to paradise!_

_That those who falter and those who fall…_

_Must pay the price…_

I knew, that with the help of those who cared for me – Hatori, Honda-san, my brother, Haru, and even Kyo to an extent now, I would _not_ falter, and I wouldn't let myself fall in front of those I fear or loath again.

I wouldn't lose.

I would prove to myself that I could be strong enough…

_Lord, let me find him_

_That I may see him_

_Safe behind bars – I will never rest_

_Till then_

_This I swear._

_This I swear by – the stars!_

I may not be attempting to do what the singer is – but maybe I could follow the same way.

"_I swear by the stars that I will save myself from this darkness…"_ I whispered to myself as the song ended, causing Hatori to look behind him briefly.

"What was that Yuki?" he asked, thinking that I had spoken to him.

"N-nothing… I was just talking to myself…" I muttered, and I was sure that I had gone slightly red in the face.

"Right… We're here, anyway." He told me as he pulled the car up into the driveway, letting the soft engine purr to a stop as the car halted outside Hatori's – and now my – house. "I've cleared out one of the spare rooms for you. Here's a key for the house, and one for your room. Is there anything you need to ask?"

I looked at the house, and then back at Hatori for a moment before asking the question.

"Umm… are there any specific house-rules that I need to follow?" I asked nervously, for fear of embarrassing myself.

"Rules? Well, the only ones are don't disturb me when I'm working, which goes without saying anyway, and to _never_ go in the kitchen while I'm cooking. I cook – you wash up. At least that way neither of us will die of food poisoning… Akito wouldn't be pleased to have us two ill or dead, now would he?"

I smiled weakly at Hatori's attempt at humour, before asking a question that I was sure he'd be the only one to know the answer.

"Hatori… Akito-sama asked me to visit him on Saturday… do you know any of the details…?"

"Yes, he did mention that he wanted you to visit – though I'm surprised that _you_ already know of it… did he phone Shigure while you were still at that house?"

"Umm… no…" I replied, suddenly realising that Akito hadn't told anyone about his visit before going – he must have known that he would get stopped. "He… he told me in person… this afternoon before I went home from school…"

"So _that's_ where he went!" Hatori muttered to himself, obviously vexed at the head of the Sohma family's behaviour. "Sometimes I think he's worse than _you_ when it comes to medical check-ups…"

Ah… so he _still_ hadn't forgotten the many appointments I had ran off from as a child, and the ones that I just completely skived from as a teenager…

"At least now you won't be able to run off now from your check-ups…" Hatori smiled at the thought, and laughed slightly as my face was filled with a look of total horror.

"I'm going to my room…" I muttered to him as I got out of the car and followed him into the house.

"It's the third door on the left once you get upstairs!" He called as he went into his office on the ground floor.

I followed his instructions exactly as I upstairs and into my room, and I was shocked to see the room Hatori had gotten for me.

I had half-expected it to be as plainly furnished as my old room, but Hatori must have taken my education needs more importantly than Shigure. The entire room was laid out for maximum efficiency (just like Hatori's entire house) and on the desk he had placed a laptop. No games or anything like that, but loads of sophisticated software, and a wall full of filled book-shelves.

This must be his idea of a dream room – and honestly, I would have to agree with him in this matter as I took a book of the shelf and, sitting in one of the armchairs, I began to read…

Now, all I have to do is survive through Saturday and hopefully life won't be too bad.

_If_ I survive through Saturday that is…

And so that night I went to sleep with the thoughts of the future on my mind – but even still, being in this house – with the quietness was a nice balance – there wasn't the deafening silence of Akito's chambers, nor the boisterous sounds from Shigure's place.

Here had just the right balance.

***

**Shigure's Point of View**

As Hatori's car pulled up on the drive outside the house, and the man himself helped Yuki get his stuff into the car I could feel my new-found hate for the man bubble up. Sure, Yuki had always been something to keep to get one-up on Akito in our mini-war, but I had truly classed Hatori as a friend.

And now the back-stabbing excuse for a Doctor has taken my leverage.

Maybe it was time to see if I could exact a revenge on Hatori Sohma…

I picked up the phone next to me, and dialled the one number I knew off-by-heart.

The main house.

Or, more specifically, my beloved Akito.

Because I would win Akito over to my side – I would make sure of that.

The 'mutt' wouldn't be in the dog-house for much longer.

Just everyone else instead.


	24. Yuumei maboroshi

**Hiia everyone - long time no see ^^**

**How are you all?**

**Okay, this chapters called Yuumei maboroshi - strange dreams ^^ So please enjoy.**

**Sorry for the long wait.**

**Also, please vote on the poll in my profile about which story's you want me to update after this one ^^**

**Winners will be announced next time ^^**

**Kyae/**

* * *

_Maybe it was time to see if I could exact a revenge on Hatori Sohma…_

_I picked up the phone next to me, and dialled the one number I knew off-by-heart._

_The main house._

_Or, more specifically, my beloved Akito._

_Because I would win Akito over to my side – I would make sure of that._

_The 'mutt' wouldn't be in the dog-house for much longer._

_Just everyone else instead._

***

**Yuki's Point of View – Saturday, yes, **_**the**_** Saturday! ^_^**

It was about three in the morning on the Saturday morning when I first opened my eyes, well _if_ I was awake, to the sound of scuffling from outside.

Curiosity piquing my interest again, I wearily clambered my way out of my bed to look out of my window (which faced the larger area of the Sohma estate.

There, in the Shadows were two women, standing outside one of the more reclusive houses… come to think about it I didn't even know who lived there… Squinting in the darkness I could just about tell that one was considerably older than the other – maybe they were relatives…

But, even if I couldn't see or hear what they were talking about, I could tell instantly that they were fighting, and that it was about to get heated…

"You_ disgrace_!" The older woman spat out, louder than anything else that was said, as she slapped the younger person forcefully, causing her to take a step back. "You dare go around here, saying those things!"

My mind phased out at that moment, and I didn't hear what the younger one retorted, but I recognised the woman's body language… it was like my own, when I was with my mother…

It's strange really; I always assumed that it was only the Juunishi whose parents were like that…

But that person appeared to be just like me, only older…

"Go back _now_; I don't want to hear another word from you!" The mother shrieked at the child, and yet again I was reminded of how, the only time my mother had used physical abuse against me, she had said very similar words:

_Go back to Akito now – Don't say another word about it…_

I watched silently as the younger one protested – fighting back where I wouldn't have – I wouldn't have _dared_ to go against my mother at the age I was then…

But would I have gone against her even now…?

The woman looked only slightly older than me, if she wasn't the same age at all. She wasn't small – she must have been slightly taller than myself – but she was very slight, and fragile-looking…

But then, as suddenly as it had began, the 'fight' ended as Hatori appeared from our house, interrupting the two from their fight, and sending them on their way, waiting for the older woman to go inside her house before talking to the woman briefly. Maybe she was one of his patients, or they worked together…

Either way, I was too tired to continue thinking, and I barely had time to reach my bed before I collapsed onto it, completely exhausted. I didn't usually get up until ten in the morning usually, due to some condition that had developed during my childhood, and so being up, even for a few minutes at this time was generally unheard of for me…

***

It was half-ten by the time I had fully woken up, and gotten downstairs for breakfast, or rather brunch… Early on in my four nights here we had established a routine of sorts about getting up in time for school – Hatori _never_ wakes me up, as long as I'm downstairs and conscious. Of course, the arrangement had happened due to unforeseen circumstances (by him – evidently Hatori had forgotten what I was like at the precious time of half six in the morning…)

And so, when I got downstairs, I was surprised to see Hatori downstairs, cooking a late breakfast for me.

"Hey Hatori…" I mumbled, still half-asleep as he made breakfast, the smell of the bacon wafting temptingly throughout the entire house, the delicious scent beginning to rouse me from my slumber. "How come you're cooking breakfast now?"

Another policy we had both agreed on without speaking – if I'm not down for breakfast – I'll have to have left-over's or starve till lunch. It was easier for both of us that way and a half of the time I only saw Hatori at the end of the day, when he returned late from work and wearily made our supper.

"I don't have work today… and Akito requested that you didn't 'run off' before your… meeting…" Hatori replied somewhat sheepishly – well as sheepishly as someone whose tone of voice never changes can sound… "I made your favourite…"

"I won't run off Hatori – I've learnt it's never good… but if I get bacon out it…" I shrugged, grabbing some of the bacon from out of the pan, being nonchalant so that he wouldn't notice my slight shaking.

"Right… well, he wants you there for one o'clock I believe… he was rather amused at hearing the condition you were still in an hour ago." Hatori told me, but I couldn't see his face.

"You didn't tell him!" I called out shocked, before noticing Hatori's small smirk – he, the stern doctor had actually been _teasing _me… "Oh… you _didn't_…"

"No, I didn't tell him – he knows nothing of your condition," He replied to my utmost relief. "Though he was rather impatient to know why you weren't already there – he's been demanding you come since about half five in the morning… apparently he's 'not feeling well' again…"

"M-maybe I should get going then… so he doesn't get angry…" I muttered, standing up, abandoning the plate full of wonderful food.

"Nonsense. Yuki – I am in charge of your health – Akito said that himself. If I let you go there without eating, then what would that say about my caring for you – so _eat_ – you could do with gaining some wait anyway – you don't eat nearly enough…"

Under Hatori's watchful eye I managed to just about finish the plate that I had helped myself too earlier, and by eleven o'clock I was awake enough to stumble out of the house in a reasonable condition (without seeming drunk, at least…).

"Hey." I looked up to see a tall figure leaning against the fence – a figure with black and white hair.

"Hi Haru…" I spoke as I passed, but he gently grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop.

"Do you wanna hang out?" He asked in his usual voice, finding nothing odd with the fact that I was actually at the main house – a place I had never hid the fact that I despised. "Mum's kicked me out of the house 'cause she's cleaning…"

"I-I can't Haru… I've got a meeting…"

Well, a meeting of sorts… kind of…

"Oh…" He muttered, letting my arm go. "Some other time?"

"Sure." I smiled at him, but he wasn't looking back at me, rather looking through me into the distance, the look in his eye one I'd never seen before… and to tell you the truth it unnerved me…

Nervously, I backed off, but when he didn't follow, or even say 'bye' to me, I just shrugged me shoulders and went on my way, glad to be away from him for once…

There had once been a point where I would have told him _everything_… but that all ended a few weeks ago… because it was then that I realised that I couldn't trust anyone – not even the ones who I'd trusted and loved for _years_…

Just in case they were like Shigure – a betrayer.

A spy.

Come to think of it, Haru had been acting strange, ever since that day we had hung out, and I had gotten into trouble for skiving… Maybe someone had said something to him.

Maybe.

But in the end those thoughts left my mind as I went through the gates that led to the centre of the main house itself – Because, although only the 'insiders' knew it, there were _three_ parts to the Sohma compound, not just the two the 'outsiders' believed there were.

The first part was the 'outside', where most Sohma's lived, unless they had jobs out-of-town or abroad. Even if they did though, all births had to be registered, and all marriages confirmed – because anyone with Sohma blood in them, not matter how diluted had a chance at being possessed by one of the Juunishi spirits, and unless it was know _immediately_, then the child could be lost to the world – and at risk of exposing the secret…

Then, there was the 'inside' area. Anyone who was cursed and their immediate family (parents, siblings, and children) could live there as well – basically anyone who knew of the secret. Of course it was more richly furnished at built, but the entire structure was made by the genius strategies of the head of the family during their time. The layout was built specifically for the overseeing of 'god' or the head of the family – if the god hadn't been born yet – just like in the folk tales… But even then, each individual leader added in their own section, Akito's being one of the most impressive, although his choice surprised everyone, and I mean _everyone_.

Akito chose to have a fountain built in the centre of the gardens – one ornately designed by the top designers, depicting the tale of the Juunishi.

Even if it was _unexpected_, it was still extremely beautiful, and I know that all of us, even Kyo were attached to the fountain, although I doubt any of us could explain why.

As I passed it, I couldn't help but let my hand run briefly under the water for a moment, relishing in the coolness and tranquillity it brought – the complete opposite of the atmosphere Akito brought around while among us.

Maybe that's why he had it made…

But, almost as if guarding the next section, about a hundred metres from the statue lay the very centre of the Sohma estate, a place where only the Juunishi or those who were privileged (or worked there) could entre.

The Banquet Chambers.

That section was perhaps the oldest of all the parts of the estate, as well as the finest in terms of décor and design. Inside the small gathering of buildings there were two sets of living chambers – one for the Head of the family, and one for the god of the Juunishi – both of these people classed as the most important in the family. Having both positions in the same person had caused a lot of controversies…

There were also guest quarters, where I had stayed as a child, and in the furthest corner of the area was the cat's room.

'My' _room_ had been in the furthest section of Akito's chambers.

But there was also the banquet hall itself – a place of beauty, tranquillity and splendour. Every year the Juunishi gathered there to celebrate the coming of the New Year, and every year the cat was excluded.

Watching the workers decorate the hall made me realise how soon the next New Year's would be – it was only about three weeks away from now…

"Yuki Sohma-san?" A young voice asked from the door as I knocked upon it.

"Yes." I replied evenly, thinking briefly about the last time I had gone from Hatori's to here and I realised how much I had changed since then… how much stronger I had become. "Is Akito-sama ready to see me now?"

"Umm... No Yuki-san..." She replied softly, opening the front door for me and showing me through the room. "I'm afraid I've been told by the house-keeper that Akito is busy currently and that he'll see you in half an hour…"

'_Oh… he must have another meeting or something'_ I remember thinking to myself as I followed the main through the corridors to the room where Akito usually greets his visitors – a room that wasn't too far from 'my room', truth be told…

"Akito-sama will be here shortly – why don't you just relax for now?" She suggested kindly, and her naivety made me realise that she hadn't been working at the main house for a very long time – otherwise she would have realised that Akito _liked_ everyone to be uncomfortable whilst waiting from him…

"I'm perfectly fine here, thank you." I replied, smiling gently at the young maid – knowing that she'd be too distracted to continue asking me to 'relax'…

"I-If you're sure… just call me if you want a drink or anything…" She blushed, obviously not realising that I was still in school by the brief expression that flickered across her face before she turned even redder and rushed off.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Five minutes…

Ten minutes…

Fifteen minutes…

After counting twenty minutes I stood up briefly, to stretch my legs and step out of my meditation for a brief while.

It was just as I was about to sit back down that I heard a slight scuffling sound from the room next to this one – Akito's private room – one no one was allowed in…

I strained my ears slightly to try and hear the conversation, when I heard a slight thud and a whimpering sound…

Growing more and more worried I crept up to the door, alarm bells ringing in my ears to _get away from there_… But I couldn't help going nearer, to find out what was happening…

It was then when I heard the scream coming from that room – a scream of terror…

* * *

**Heehee - a cliff hanger. - who do you recon the people are in this scene - a cookie goes to the winner ^^**

**So please review. If I get 15+ I will update on the 10th of the month.**

**10+, on the 16th - okay?**


	25. Kirai

**Hiia - here's the next update for you all ^^**

**Reading this chapter over, I recon the way this story is heading is probably like marmite - some will like it... some might not - but please, give it a chance, and respect the way I'm heading with this story.**

**So please read this with an open mind ^^**

**The next update will either be on the 28th, or the 4th of April ^^**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to review and vote on my poe ^^**

**Kyae ^^**

* * *

_It was just as I was about to sit back down that I heard a slight scuffling sound from the room next to this one – Akito's private room – one no one was allowed in…_

_I strained my ears slightly to try and hear the conversation, when I heard a slight thud and a whimpering sound…_

_Growing more and more worried I crept up to the door, alarm bells ringing in my ears to get away from there… But I couldn't help going nearer, to find out what was happening…_

_It was then when I heard the scream coming from that room – a scream of terror…_

***

**Hatori's Point of View**

I watched silently as Yuki left the house to go to the Main House, worries filling my mind, Akito had had a bad night last night, and when I had gone to visit him early, I had told him to rest… but I knew he's be awake as soon as he heard Yuki was there – and he wouldn't be in a good mood, _that_ was for sure…

Then again, yesterday had taken a lot out of the strength Akito had been regaining – so maybe it would mean that any attack would be fended off…

Hopefully.

But the events might have also fuelled Akito into venting out the anger, rather than thinking it through – venting it out on poor Yuki…

I sympathised for young Yuki – I really did. He had had such a tough childhood, one I doubt many could compete with…

And yet he still smiled.

Even if it was weak, and downtrodden, Yuki could still find some place inside him that would let him smile – and when he did it seemed to make everyone around him look on in awe… no wonder he had so many admirers at that school of his – even if _he_ didn't realise why they all adored him, every person who met him was affected by that warm smile he gave… that true smile that so rarely adorned his face.

Even Akito had once confessed to liking that smile – of course Akito had been half-asleep at the time, in a state rather like Yuki's at the time, and remembered nothing of it, but those words were still said…

That was one of the reasons Akito confessed to me why he despised Yuki so much, because no matter what happened to Yuki, he still found a way to smile…

Whereas _she_ couldn't do that herself… she never had been able to…

I still find it hard to think of Akito as a boy constantly, and speaking as if she is male constantly – after all I'm her doctor and knew that one fact more than most, and had to cover it… well maybe Shigure and Kureno know that more than me on second thoughts…

But even though those two were close to her, I don't think she even confided in those two – she simply didn't trust people enough. She never had, not since she was a child.

_Bring, bring…_

Shigure again.

"What do you want?" I asked sharply into the phone – so that he knew I hadn't forgiven him just because I had managed to get Yuki out from under his thumb. He had to know that he couldn't rely on my – or Ayame for that fact anymore.

"Oh Haa-san!" He called, starting off in cheerful tones before quietening down somewhat, his tones subtly turning darker – just like they always did when something had happened that he didn't like…

"Ren called me this morning."

Like when he found out either of his 'loves' did something he didn't know about.

"And?" I asked impatiently. If he wanted answers of any sort then he'd have to ask for them directly – I wasn't in the mood to play his games – not while my mind was too preoccupied with whatever was going on at the main house – I had to make sure that if any of the staff called for my assistance, that I could get there immediately.

"She said that young Akito was being disrespectful to her again…" He trailed off, and I snorted – of _course_ none of them could expect Akito to be respectful to that mother of hers – too much history and conspiracy was blocking the bonds between them, and had led for them to be destroyed.

"Shigure. Get to the point."

"I want to see Akito." He said darkly, and involuntarily I shuddered. At times Shigure Sohma _really_ gave me the creeps. Out of the three of the 'Mabudachi trio' at school, he was always the one who took it too far… and the one who managed to place the blame on an innocent victim.

To think about it truthfully, he hasn't really changed at all since then…

"Akito doesn't want to see you." I told him sharply – after spending the time with the Juunishi god after the row last night, she had told me the tale bitterly, and her mind had spun out the most random phrases – but one thing had been clear – that Shigure had _everything_ to do with the fight…

***

_Akito stormed off as soon as I had forced her mother off her, and I hastened to follow her – it was obvious that she hadn't slept yet today, and she really did need sleep._

"_That bastard… that bloody bastard…" She was muttering as she stormed off into her house, surprisingly not waking up any of the staff in the process as she slammed the doors and stomped off into her room._

"_Shigure?"_

"_Who else?!?" She shrieked, throwing a cushion to the other end of the room. "He's the only one who ever does __**anything**__ like this! He's ruining EVERYTHING!"_

"_What do you mean Akito-san...?" I questioned delicately, attempting to make sure that the young adult didn't do anything... _drastic_... if she did... well half of the estate would probably be rubble..._

"_He's ruining _everything_ – that's what I mean! First he goes around with that woman, and now he's trying to usurp me! And what he's doing to Yuki – It's unacceptable."_

_I remained calm as I passed her a glass of water that she had demanded – a glass that I had sneaked a sleeping drug in. Akito needed sleep – it was the only way to get her to calm down enough for the possibility that she wouldn't hurt another- Yuki._

"_It's no worse than what _you_ do to him Akito..." I reminded the god gently – after all she had done a lot worse to Yuki in her time..._

_Akito was silent for a while – and I almost thought she was asleep, but as I turned to go she turned to face me, her face clouded with thought._

"_How is it he still smiles?" Were the words she whispered, before her eyes closed and her breathing evened – she must have been half-asleep as she spoke those words..._

_I waited for a few moments, watching to be sure she was asleep before moving out of the room – I could tell instantly by looking at the young woman that she would be asleep for a long time from now – which naturally would be good for her. She already didn't have enough rest, what with her temper and her pride keeping her up well past anyone else._

_But it was only natural that it would all catch up on her in the end..._

***

**Yuki's Point of View**

As soon as I heard that scream my mind was made up.

I would enter that room – whatever the cost might be.

I tried the door, half-expecting to have to force my way into that room...

But the door was unlocked.

That in itself made me pause to think – Akito _never_ harmed others without making sure 100% that no one could enter the room...

Or flee from it in fear...

Then the struggling began again – the soft thudding on the wood echoing out through the door and out of the room...

I pressed the door handle down gently before silently creeping into the forbidden room.

Only no one was there – the floor was uninhabited and there was no foreboding figure standing fiercely in the shadows...

There was no one there at all... but there _must_ be someone here...

"No... Please... don't..." The person sobbed their voice so low I only just heard it...

And the voice was coming from the _bed_...

I closed the door after me silently as I tepidly made my way to where the voice was coming from.

There, lying on the double bed, almost invisible due to his lack of weight upon him, lay Akito.

Only he wasn't wearing the usual impassive mask that he used when he was with any of us – with _anyone_...

No, his young face was etched with emotion – and the emotion was the one I would have least expected to be upon Akito's face of all people.

Pain.

I _knew_ that I should have left the room immediately, and pretended that I had not heard anything, or seen anything in that room – to deny that I had even _been_ there in that room, but somethingdrew me to the sleeping god...

Maybe it was the Nezumi spirit deep inside me yearning to be with his master...

Or maybe it was _me_, yearning to be accepted finally by Akito

"No... It's not fair... stop it..." He whispered, and instantly I frowned. Akito's voice seemed odd – smoother, gentler... more _melodic_...

Like mine...

It was odd – if I wasn't looking at Akito with my own two eyes then I would have denied that it was him completely.

"Don't hurt him..."

_Him_...?

As in someone _else_...

Today really was odd... maybe I haven't woken up properly yet...

That's probably it...

I'm still dreaming...

I looked back at Akito again – just to confirm that I was dreaming – surely Akito's sleeping face would now have a typical scowl of his... surely...

But there wasn't a scowl there – in fact something that was _much_ scarier...

Akito's eyes were _wide open_... but they were glazed over.

Akito's deep black eyes that usually _created_ fear, actually contained fear themselves...

Maybe, when people said that people got their comeuppance, this was where Akito received his... in his _dreams_...

But for some reason that made me shiver in fear... _for_ Akito...

Suddenly Akito grasped my wrist tightly, in his sleep, his eyes looking past me into the darkness behind me.

"Why do I hate him...? Is that what you _really_ want to know Shigure...?" Akito asked a person who was not in the room, his voice low, but different – it was less sharp, but more so at the same time...

And the tones of his voice contained something else in them too...

Loathing...

He didn't even speak to _me_ like that, and I had been sure he hated me the most of all of us... especially by the way he treated me at times...

Could it be possible that Akito hated Shigure more than me...?

"Because he's lucky..."

What?

Lucky?

How can he think that?

"He doesn't need to pretend about who he is..." He murmured before settling back into his sleep, growing calmer, his eyes slowly closing.

"I forgive you Akito-sama..." I whispered to him, letting go of the last of my resentment for the Juunishi god in that moment, feeling a heavy weight lift off me.

I waited a few moments, but when Akito didn't say any more I sat down in the chair next to him, watching the sleeping god as his nails refused to let go of his claim on my wrist, almost cuddling up to it as if it were a cuddly toy...

To be honest, the complete contrast between 'awake' Akito and 'asleep' Akito kind of freaked me out – _a lot_...

Still, it almost felt _natural_ to be like this, sitting next to Akito whilst he slept...

It was only then that I realised this was the first time I had been in Akito's presence and _not_ been afraid of the Juunishi god...

Well, I suppose that there's a first for everything...

I watched Akito sleep almost fascinated – everything about the man was different to how he had been the last time I had seen him...

His anger was replaced by a kind of tranquillity.

His hatred was replaced with softness.

As he gradually loosened his hold upon my wrist to a bearable level, I began to lean back in the chair, becoming calmed – more relaxed...

"If there is any other god up there – help this one... please..." I whispered, looking upwards briefly.

Although Akito wouldn't know it, seeing him asleep – realising that Akito was indeed human like I - had gone a long, _long_ way to helping me recover. Seeing him so vulnerable... it made me think about all _my_ thoughts of Akito. I had always thought him the 'bad' guy – the one to blame my troubles on, even if I had never voiced these views out loud...

But now...

I suppose, in a way I was growing up – realising that the torturer of my nights was also scared of the darkness actually made me feel closer to him, strange as it seemed...

As my eyes fluttered closed, the lack of sleep from last night taking its hold (even though I sleep _extremely_ deep at night, it isn't always enough to keep me awake during the day), and I felt my body relax.

_What harm could be done in a little nap... I'll be able to tell if Akito wakes up, and I can pretend to have been awake all this time..._

Little did I know how it would all be taken by everyone else...


	26. Kourui

**31.03.2010**

**Hiia - long time no see lol ^^**

**Well, i hope you enjoy this chapter - and review. I'd like to see what you think of the way everythings turning, otherwise I won't know what to put next!**

**Enjoy/**

**Kyae**

* * *

As my eyes fluttered closed, the lack of sleep from last night taking its hold (even though I sleep _extremely_ deep at night, it isn't always enough to keep me awake during the day), and I felt my body relax.

_What harm could be done in a little nap... I'll be able to tell if Akito wakes up, and I can pretend to have been awake all this time..._

Little did I know how it would all be taken by everyone else...

***

**Akito's Point of View... you're all in for a surprise... ^_^**

'_Damn that Hatori...' _

Those were the first thoughts that entered my mind as I realised that he had drugged me last night... or was it in the morning? I forget..,

Then, slowly as I gradually woke up, flashes of the previous night began to flash before my closed eyes.

That phone call from the mutt, trying to undermine my authority over Yuki...

Then that comment about that woman...

And the argument with her...

God – why did that infuriating excuse for a mother have to exist?!? I mean – everything had a purpose in life – even _wasps_ had some use!

But what good was she for other than for torturing me with her poisonous words?

They say 'like mother, like daughter'...

And maybe I _was_ like her in ways... at times...

But I had only had her as a role-model as a child... my father had died when I was at an age that even his little input didn't have much effect upon me.

No, everything that I was was due to my mother.

My personality, my strong distrust of others... my cruel side...

Even my having to pretend to be a _boy_ was down to her.

And stupid people like Shigure still wondered why I despised the woman so...

They expected me to just 'get over it' and make do with life.

But I was never one to let bad things happen to me alone – in my pitiful mind someone else had to suffer to...

And that's where Yuki Sohma, the Nezumi Juunishi had come in...

We were so similar if you think about it...

Both our mother's either hated us, or were indifferent about our existence.

Even if I say it myself, we both had minds of genius' – we could both do _anything we wanted_ given the chance.

But neither of us _was_ given the chance.

I was forced to abandon what I loved the most – music – to be the head of the family... if I had been born to any other mother I could have pursued my passions freely – but no... at the tender age of nine Ren Sohma had woke me up in the middle of the night, and right in front of my eyes had destroyed my most prized possession – a small panpipe that my father had given me before he had died.

I had managed to salvage the small wooden instrument from the fiery embers, even with her watching, but she had just laughed at me, and walked off. Even though I still had the remains of the instrument, she had still proven her point to me – after all – never again had I picked up a musical instrument on these grounds, fearful of the threats she would carry out...

Yuki, on the other hand, had been brought up sheltered by his parents, even if they had been indifferent to him... They may have decided what schools he would go to, but they had at least wanted him to do well, even if it would have befitted them to.

My mother only wanted to destroy my life...

Hell, Yuki and I even _looked_ similar...

We both had the same haircut (even if I would have preferred to have had it grown long), and our heart-shaped faces were both almost identical...

People had often said that we almost looked like a woman; we were so 'delicate'...

Well, they were right about _me_, at least...

Yuki really didn't know how lucky he had it.

I _know_ he had had a cruel childhood – the majority down to me, I know... but at least he had been able to find a small amount of happiness in that Honda girl, even if he had no romantic inclinations towards her...

I didn't have anyone to care for me though – maybe that's why I had always told Yuki that no one cared about _him_...

So that I wouldn't be alone...

Because that is what I had always feared...

That's why I disliked him so much at times – why I let my temper harm him...

Because he was so naive, gentle... everyone liked him the moment they met him – even I did, truth be told.

Only no one was ever like that to me – everyone who met me had heard about me beforehand, and so expected the cold, heartless figure they saw before them – there was no point in trying to tell them otherwise – their prejudiced selves had already judged me, and cast me out...

But, deep down I yearned for human contact – someone to accept me... maybe that's why I couldn't truly hate Yuki – because a part of me still wanted him to accept, and forgive me...

I opened my eyes slowly, deciding to go and find him, to tell him not to bother coming later – after all, maybe it wasn't too late to begin to build the bridges... with _him_ at least. I wouldn't let him know it – **never**, I couldn't imagine the apology scene... but maybe if I slowly started to change he'd begin to like me – to grow to like the person I really was...

It was only then that I realised that I had clutched something while asleep, something soft...

I peered to the side, cautiously, unsure of who would have come into my chambers while I was asleep – for the last few years I had _forbade_ anyone to enter my private quarters unless it was an emergency, due to my prone nightmares that were becoming more and more frequent apparently...

So obviously whoever had entered was someone who didn't know of this rule...

I looked at the hand that was joined to the arm first – a long, slender hand, one with skin that was of a pure icy white...

I looked cautiously upwards, noticing Yuki's pure face first... I had heard some of the foolish girls from that school of his call him a 'prince', but in my opinion they weren't giving Yuki enough credit. According to my father, the rat before Yuki had been just as beautiful – just as angelic-looking – a masterpiece of perfection, but I had a feeling that this other rat wasn't anything compared to Yuki...

I watched his soft even breathing for a few minutes before it sunk in that he was actually asleep – I mean, how could he sleep with me fidgeting as much as Shigure says I do?

I watched Yuki in his slumber, kind of fascinated by the way he was – when he slept his own mask that he wore in front of the other Juunishi, and even me begun to slip off, and I could see in that sleep the happiness that kept coming to him in flashes when he thought of something someone must have said to him at some point.

It made me feel incredibly lonely to watch him like that, but at the same time it comforted me to know I hadn't scared him for life...

When I was younger, and more childish I had chosen foolishly to try and _make_ Yuki understand me – to be like me the only way I knew how – by making him suffer as I had suffered.

I knew it was wrong, deep down, but still I continued to torture the young boy... almost as if I wanted a mirror image, someone who was as twisted as I were at that time...

But time had matured me, even if I had made sure that none of the others noticed, all my actions were now carefully calculated. I had worked out the correct amount of malice needed in a voice to make the person shudder, and the right expression to ensure that you were obeyed, but gradually I had tried to make sure that I was less violent, and said less hurtful things...

I _tried_ – I really did...

_It's time to wake him – to get him away from here... and me..._

It made me feel even lonely to think that, but I knew that that was what Yuki needed...

I gently let go of my grasped, and involuntarily shuddered – the nail imprints on his arms from my finger nails were so deep the skin was almost breaking in some of the parts.

Gosh, if that's what I do to him unconsciously, imagine how hurt he would have been after time in that room...

I couldn't even bear to look at that door that led to the room now – each time I glanced at it showed me my cruelty – and I don't think I was ready to face that just yet...

"Yuki... Yuki...?" I gently shook the sleeping teenager, trying to rouse him from his sleep without invoking fear into his mind...

But he wouldn't wake.

"Yuki...? Are you awake...?"

No reply.

None at all...

"Yuki...?" I shook him one last time before getting out of bed, still fully clothed from last night, and peering at him closely.

Then, his eyes suddenly opened wide, before narrowing sleepily and he got up, still in that half-asleep state of zombie-ness.

"I'm up Honda-san... I'm getting ready..." He muttered half-incoherent, moving to an imaginary wardrobe and pulling it open, grabbing something invisible from it.

Gosh, was the rat mad? How could he think that he was still in Shigure's house?!!?

What was happening...?

"Y-Yuki...?" I began to walk slowly up to the silver-haired teen, when he suddenly turned around and began walking away, as if to a door. He opened this imaginary door before walking straight into...

The wall.

"Are you alright...?" I asked cautiously, pretty sure he'd be awake by now – surely _anyone_ would be awake after that...

But, _he_ wasn't.

I reached out to grasp his shoulder – to turn him around so that I could see if there was any damage to his face when suddenly he collapsed.

Right to the floor.

_Right in front of me_.

"Y-Yuki...?" I whispered, suddenly afraid.

What on earth was going on today...?

Why was he even here _now_?

Then I looked at the clock.

1 pm.

I had been asleep eight hours since that argument.

_Eight hours!_

No wonder the Nezumi had come here...

And now he was hurt...

... And everyone – maybe even he was going to believe that I had had something to do with his injuries if any were visible – I mean, _I_ would suspect that I had had something to do with them if I was any other person...

What to do?

What to do?!?

Yuki was lying unconscious on the floor and I really had no idea on how to help him, or even how to stop panicking.

_Breathe in Akito – you need to breathe..._

Well, _some_ part of my body knew what to do...

Now all I needed to do was make sure that the unconscious boy on my floor was alright.

I looked up, straight at that door.

A strange emotion flared up inside me – _hatred_ as I stalked to the door angrily and yanked down the cloth that usually obstructed the door from view... but why was it even up in the first place...?

"Where am I...?" A young _naive_ voice whispered for a moment, and I whipped around to see Yuki looking at me before his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

'Well... at least he wasn't _dead_...' I thought hopefully to myself.


	27. Kaigan

**21.04.2010**

**Hiia all**

**Here's the next installment of Obedience, so I hope you like it.**

**Urm.. well, recently I haven't been getting as much feedback as before, and so I'm kinda at a loss as to what you all think about it... If it isn't too much trouble i'd really appreciate to know what you all think, coz it helps me so much to write the next chapters and stuff...**

**Thanks, and please enjoy**

**Kyae**

**P.S. I also finished a three-shot recently - the third part to the first story I have ever wrote on this site, so please check it out, it's called 'why?', and its a furuba fic.**

**A new pole about which story you want me to write next is also up, and next installment I'll tell you which story's winning, kay?**

* * *

_Now all I needed to do was make sure that the unconscious boy on my floor was alright._

_I looked up, straight at that door._

_A strange emotion flared up inside me – __**hatred**__ as I stalked to the door angrily and yanked down the cloth that usually obstructed the door from view... but why was it even up in the first place...?_

"_Where am I...?" A young __**naive**__ voice whispered for a moment, and I whipped around to see Yuki looking at me before his eyes closed and he fell asleep._

'_Well... at least he wasn't __**dead**__...' I thought hopefully to myself._

***

**Hatori's Point of View – Hatori's home**

I watched the clock worriedly as the hours progressed –I knew Akito would have been awake for about two hours yet, and surely what she wanted with him wouldn't take this long...

Unless she wanted to harm him...

I _knew_ that I shouldn't always think the worst of Akito, but when you knew a person as well as I did, at times you found it hard to be flexible in your thoughts about them, especially when those events that I dreaded occurring had happened before by that persons hand...

And has the clock drew past one o'clock I was almost in a mind to call up the main house to see what was happening there myself – I was Akito's personal doctor after all, they wouldn't find it suspicious as to why I was asking what Akito was doing – they'd presume that I was merely enquiring after his/her heath condition...

_Ring... Ring..._

I looked down at the phone I had about to use to see an incoming call getting ahead of me.

I looked at the contact details, expecting to see Shigure's face flaring up at me.

But it wasn't him.

Nor was it a call from my contact in the main house – a young maid who was a direct cousin to me, who told me whenever Akito was straining herself.

No, it was Akito _directly_...

"Akito-san?" I asked into the phone cautiously, knowing that whatever Akito was calling me for – it wouldn't be good news...

"Hatori – is that you?" Her voice came through the receiver out of breath, and I could tell immediately that she was panicking – after all, even though it was rare, even Akito was prone to letting her nerves taking over her, especially before the New Year celebrations – after all, they were the pride and joy of the Sohma family, and if they went badly... well, it would all reflect on Akito, as head of the family and the one possessed by the Jade Emperor Spirit.

"What's happened Akito-san?" I asked, going into 'doctor' mode – because if Akito had done something stupid enough for her to sound like this, then there was no use in me rebuking her – the best thing to do was make sure that Yuki was alright... and alive...

"It's Yuki... he w-was asleep a-and then... H-Hatori... I-I think he's _dead_... he-he isn't moving... someone _can't_ stay asleep through all of that..." She trailed off, her voice still panicky and I let out an immediate sigh of relief.

He had fallen _asleep_...

Which would mean that she had seen his condition as he had woken up – and he often fell back asleep again, even when he was on his feet, which would make it look as if he had collapsed to someone who didn't know otherwise...

"He collapsed?" I asked her, and I could almost imagine the young god nodding mutely to my question. "He's still asleep Akito – you haven't done anything this time..."

I winced as I said the last part – after all Akito was probably already feeling bad enough already without having that thrust upon her also.

"I'll come over immediately Akito-san." I told her quietly, but the wait for her acknowledgement of what I said seemed to take a lifetime...

"Thank you..." Was the whisper that I heard before she hung up the phone sharply, leaving me in a state of stunned shock for a moment.

What on earth had happened to the woman whilst Yuki had been there? Or even whilst she had been asleep...? Had I given her the wrong medication or something?

I shook my head as I picked up my bag and made my way to the young god's quarters – something _had _happened drastically overnight, and I knew one thing for sure – from now on _nothing_ would ever be the same again...

***

**Hatori's Point of View – the Main House...**

I reached the main house within a reasonable time – I knew Yuki hadn't been harmed, and so my slower arrival wouldn't be dire, and that Akito too would need time to compose herself before we met up...

"Hello Hatori-sensei." My cousin greeted me at the gate, slightly nervous. "Are you here to see Akito-sama?"

"Yes Yume-chan." I replied calmly, speaking in exactly the same tones I usually did when with others – I had learnt from Akito and Yuki that if you hid your emotions, whether from a mask or with anger, then other people wouldn't know what you were feeling – whether it was relieved, or in distress. What happened with the Juunishi stayed with the Juunishi, and I wasn't going to let it become the idle gossip of the Sohma maids first, and then the whole of Japan. Less than seven people (that I knew of) knew about Yuki's... abuse, and I knew for certain that neither Yuki nor Akito would wish it to be told to any more. "Yume-chan... do you know what's happened today?"

I watched the young woman calmly, reading her face to see if she was lying or not.

"Not really Hatori-sensei... Akito-sama refused to allow any of us to enter his chambers once he had awoken... Yuki-san was with him I believe... why...?"

"Nothing Yume-chan, I was merely curious – I do not know of as yet why I am here." I lied, knowing that the staff all believed that I wasn't told anything – why else would I remain so ignorant when one of them tried to flirt information out of me. Thank goodness I wasn't as fickle as Shigure... "So will you take me to Akito-san?"

"Of course Hatori-sensei." She replied, though I could tell clearly that she was slightly annoyed that I hadn't divulged anything even to a blood relative. "Akito-sama's in here."

"Thank you Yume-chan, you may leave now." I told her as I reached the locked door of Akito's, and waited for the pouting Yume to leave the corridor before turning my attention to the locked door and opening it with the master key Akito had presented me with when she had been in one of her less volatile moods.

"H-Hatori, is that you...?" A young voice asked as I entered the room cautiously and locked the door after me.

I looked to where the voice was and saw Akito sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, her knees to her chest, curled up watching the sleeping Yuki closely. To be truthful I had never really thought it in Akito to be so considerate, but watching her next to Yuki – who now had a blanket wrapped around him, I saw a new side to Akito. Maybe if she had just been nurtured by her mother...

"How long has it been since he fell asleep again?" I asked as I lay the medical bag upon the bed, opening it and pulling out my stethoscope.

"I'm not sure... maybe twenty minutes... no more than that..." The woman replied quietly before turning to me, her usually black eyes now looking darker – more haunted in a strange way, as if everything was catching up with her finally. "I didn't do anything Hatori – really, I didn't! I wasn't even _planning_ on doing anything that would hurt him today... even if I might have given him that impression..."

For some strange reason, as I watched Akito with her haunted eyes speak to me, I believed what she was saying. Never before had she been so solemn – so calm... something was obviously bothering her, and whatever it was had caused this drastic change in Akito.

And whether it was good or bad, I knew Akito herself would be a completely different person from now on...

"What's happened to cause you to change?" I asked her softly – _fatherly_ as I put down my stethoscope and sat down next to where she was curled up, a comforting presence next to the indomitable force that she was. Never before would I have even _considered_ doing this... well, maybe I was changing to – changing because I was finally beginning to understand things that I had always evaded considering before...

"I had a dream... I-I know it sounds stupid but... it haunted me, and wouldn't stop coming back until something changed in them... and then, they began to change, and although I didn't understand why, in the dreams I wanted to protect him... protect him from what was happening..." She whispered her face down in her knees.

"Protect who from what?" I asked, for once not being able to see what Akito must be thinking.

I knew for certain that the person wasn't Shigure – over the last few months, and in the last two weeks especially Akito had begun to loath the suave dog – especially after she found out the full extent of his betrayals... and she had locked away all memories of her father, knowing that he was happy in the next life _away_ from her mother, so she wouldn't have nightmares of _him_...

Which only really left one person...

"_Yuki_ Hatori..." She told me, confirming my slight suspicions, though I still had no idea as to what these dreams were about. "Hatori... I dreamed about when I was younger... I saw myself hurting Yuki... I-I was so scared seeing that... I wanted to help him... save him from _myself_ so, so much... but I couldn't... I would just find myself trapped in the nightmare..."

She looked at me for a moment before turning her attention to Yuki, watching him sleep. I didn't break the silence at all – I knew just by looking at Akito that she had a lot more to say and that I would need to be patient to find out what had pushed her over the edge of her previous behaviour.

"The dream stopped for a few nights, after I had spoken to him... but then last night... after the fight with that woman... it came back again... only it wouldn't stop... the vision usually faded after a few minutes, but this time it wouldn't... I had to stay there and keep staring at those goddamn memories for an eternity before it reached a peak... it was of when Yuki last came here... to the main house..."

She stopped for a moment, her mind reliving the events of that night. I sympathised for her in that moment. It must be so hard for her to sit there, after doing all that without a conscience just to have it all pour down on her at a time like this. I was surprised that no more damage had been done to her.

Such a realisation could have driven her off the brink of insanity, and Yuki would have been helpless to save himself from her madness... but instead of letting those feelings consume her, she had come to an epiphany... she had looked at herself and realised that she had needed to change...

"It was in that room, last night that I saw how cruel I really had been... and I was disgusted with myself... I watched myself torture an innocent boy, and I felt no remorse for it then... but now I feel it all... I'm pathetic, you know that..."

"No you're not..." I told her softly, placing my hand on hers in a fatherly gesture.

"That's what he said you know... in my dream... I was there, alone... and Shigure came, watching me hurt Yuki with malice and asked me why I hated him as much as he did... and I realised that I _didn't_ hate him... b-but Shigure wasn't happy like I expected him to be in the dream... he was _angry_... he... he _wanted_ me to hate Yuki..."

The woman closed her eyes for a moment before staring at me like a child – it was amazing how innocent Akito was about Shigure – she had always been blinded by Shigure no matter what he had said or done...

"Shigure laughed, and I was about to hit him... scream at him... _anything_ to make him stop laughing at Yuki when I realised that in my terror I had grasped hold of something... a wrist... _his_ wrist – Yuki's..."

I watched amazed as Akito's eyes almost lit up as she spoke his name, and I had a feeling that she had discovered feelings that she never thought would be possible for her to have...

But Yuki was still haunted by the night even if Akito had begun to change...

"He was there, so different than what he had been the last time I had seen him, less than a week ago... something had changed him – made him _stronger_... and he looked at me – _truly_ looked at me... and whispered something to me... h-he told me that he... that he _forgave_ me... even after all I'd done... and after that... the nightmare – it went..."

Akito was still curled up, but one of her bony arms reached out to Yuki tentatively and she removed a strand of hair from his eyes.

"H-Hatori..." She whispered, looking at me with half-scared eyes. "I-I think that I..."

"Akito-sama...?" A puzzled voice entered the conversation, and my calm eyes, and Akito's tear-stained ones glanced around to see Yuki there, with a mauve blanket around him, his eyes still bleary from sleep. "Hatori...? What's going on...?"


	28. Hon'i

**09.05.2010**

Hiia everyone - I'm back ^^

Okay, a slightly earlier update, but that's because in two days time (on my birthday0, I'm hopefully going to update Blood on their Hands, so I hope that you'll support that as much as this story.

Please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review.

Oh, also, please check out the poll I have on, to vote for which story i'll release next.

Kyae

* * *

"_...h-he told me that he... that he forgave me... even after all I'd done... and after that... the nightmare – it went..."_

_Akito was still curled up, but one of her bony arms reached out to Yuki tentatively and she removed a strand of hair from his eyes._

"_H-Hatori..." She whispered, looking at me with half-scared eyes. "I-I think that I..."_

"_Akito-sama...?" A puzzled voice entered the conversation, and my calm eyes, and Akito's tear-stained ones glanced around to see Yuki there, with a mauve blanket around him, his eyes still bleary from sleep. "Hatori...? What's going on...?"_

**Yuki's Point of View**

I woke up to find myself, of all places, on the floor.

What had gone on?

The last thing I remember was sitting on the chair, watching Akito sleep...

Had he discovered me and got angry?

No... That didn't make sense – surely I would have remembered being hit, and I had no bruises or pains from what I could feel of my body.

Gradually, as my eyes grew used to the lighting of the room, I turned around to see who was there, and I was shocked by what I saw.

Yes, I kind of expected Hatori to be there – he was my guardian after all, and would have come looking for me after a while.

The thing that shocked me was Akito. Instead of looming over me like I would have expected he was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, his arms around his knees.

Okay... am I still dreaming...? I could remember thinking as I watched Akito's red-tinged eyes look at me for a moment, before turning away.

What on earth had happened whilst I had been asleep?

"Go." He murmured, not looking at either of us. "I need time."

Automatically I stood up, ready to obey Akito's muttered command, but something made me look back at the older teen. He looked so different than the last time I had seen him – to be honest; he looked like a lost child...

"Hatori?" He spoke up again, and the doctor turned around at the door, his face neutral like it was whenever he was around Akito. "Can you make sure _that mutt_ isn't allowed in the main house – I don't want to see him."

The tone in Akito's was completely different again to how he usually spoke – although there was an element of poison in it, especially as he spoke Shigure's name, (spirits name, whatever), his voice was more tired, softer...

Maybe the gossip about Akito being ill was true...

"I'll make sure the guards know that." Hatori replied grimly, nodding to Akito. "I'll be back this evening to check up on you."

"Very well." Was the reply as Hatori and I left Akito's room swiftly.

"Hatori – what's happened?" I asked the solemn doctor as soon as we were out of ear sight of any other human. "W-what's happened to Akito-sama?"

I mean, it would take a _fool_ not to realise that Akito had changed – and I was probably one of those that knew Akito the best... not through circumstances I had chosen, but nevertheless I knew him... and I knew when he was out of character – and never before had I seen him so... so... _scared_...

Because that was the emotion in his eyes – not anger, not rage... but fear... and guilt...

Akito was changing – evolving, and, truth be told, it _scared_ me... it scared me down to the core.

Something had happened to make him change so drastically over the last week – when I saw Akito at the school; the differences hadn't been as pronounced, but now...

Now it was becoming clearer, _much_ clearer that Akito was changing...

No one would be able to delude themselves about that for long.

And it was changing us too...

It's strange really, I had never thought about all the rivalries before – all those tales and how they had written our lives before we had even been born...

But now it turns out that this wasn't just fate...

That this was self-fulfilling prophecy.

I never did know what made Akito 'snap' when I was young – what made him go so far into the darkness he couldn't escape, but I did know one thing for sure – even as a child I had known it, deep down within me...

That since that dark day, the night Akito's darker side had been revealed, well... that was the night that all the hate and anguish between the Juunishi had been released...

I remember as a child that Kyo and I hadn't hated each other – we had even played together on occasion.

But then, after that night, I was forbidden to go out and see the other Juunishi, forced to watch silently as Akito began to poison the Juunishi's minds against one another, unable to help them.

First was the easy one – the bond between the rat and the cat.

With us not seeing each other, Akito managed to break the friendship and turn it into a deep hatred within one year – that new year's when Kyo had screamed abuse at me... we had planned at the last banquet to meet up in that garden, to spend time together – to be friends...

Gods, I hadn't even known that Akito knew Kyo _existed_, let alone had poisoned the boy that was once my friend...

I was so naive then – I really was...

And then Akito had begun to snap the bonds between other comrades – Shigure and Kureno for instance. No one other than those involved knew what the row was about, and for some reason people tended to blame Shigure more than Akito (though I can see why now), but one thing was for sure – ever since the argument and rivalry afterwards, both Kureno and Shigure had been competing to be Akito's favourite, even if Kureno had decided to leave for a while to study for the next few years...

Akito had caused all these bonds to break by his first change...

But now something was happening to make him change again...

Old bonds were reforming – the ones Akito had tried, and succeeded to break before.

Haru had cast aside his feelings of betrayal of the ox, and leaned from that...

Even the cat and the rat – Kyo and I were beginning to heal the burnt bridges that had separated us beforehand...

At the same time Akito had begun to change...

Could it really be possible that all of these things were connected?

"Akito-san's just feeling more ill than usual Yuki – he'll be fine soon." Hatori replied a minute later, as if he had only just registered that I was talking, but I could tell immediately that he was lying.

"You're lying Hatori – you have to be. U-usually when I'm with Akito... he well... well I don't leave _walking_. I'm not stupid Hatori – I _know_ something's up!"

Hatori looked at me steadily for a moment, before sighing.

"Yuki, you have to understand – it isn't my place to tell you Akito's problems. If you want to know what's wrong, go to her yourself."

With that Hatori strode off, not looking back.

He must be crazy – I was hardly going to go to Akito and risk his rage...

Hold on a moment...

Did Hatori just say 'go to _her_ yourself'...?

**Kyo's Point of View**

I sat there in the garden, watching Shigure and Tohru talk for a few minutes before getting up, and walking out of the house.

God, the place was so _odd_ without the rat there to fight... well, not even to fight anymore... just to have him there, with his sarcastic comments, chucking chopsticks at Shigure and poisoning his food would be better than this godforsaken silence that he's left us with.

Of course Shigure, the bastard has been nothing but cheerful with his 'que sera, será's', and his grins... but he's also been snapping at us all more, me more so... but he even shouted at Tohru once, a few days ago, after yet again he made a short visit to the main house. I had been there once, just to see what he was seeing that took so little time... but it was then that the young guard on duty told me that Akito had forbidden 'the mutt' to enter the estate.

No wonder Shigure was in a foul mood – not allowed to see his 'darling' Akito.

Of course we all knew what a manipulative Bastard Shigure was, but all of the Juunishi knew that Akito would never let the dog run rings around him – and that just proved it.

For some strange reason, no matter how much I hated Akito for doing what he did to Yuki, I couldn't help but hate Shigure more... maybe it was that bloody smug smirk that was always on his face, or the way he was subtle in his cruelties – when Akito wanted to punish someone, everyone knew about it – that was the kind of person he was...

Shigure on the other hand... well, let's just say he'd have a great poker face if he ever decided to play the game...

Shigure was manipulative – and he didn't care for _anyone_, not even Akito.

"Kyo?" Tohru called, rushing out of the house to join me in my walk, panting slightly. "A-are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I muttered, looking out into the distance, hoping that she wouldn't see through my lie. However almost immediately I began to feel guilty for it and decided to tell her the reason... well _part_ of it, at least. "Shigure's really pissing me off."

"He is?" Tohru asked, and I was surprised to see the relief in her voice as she spoke. "I _thought_ he was acting odd... I mean, he's normally loud, but it doesn't exactly seem right what with Yuki gone..."

Tohru trailed off, blushing slightly at what she had said.

"Gomen! I-I just... I just find it weird..." She admitted. "I know we'll see Yuki-kun at school but... well it just won't be the same..."

_Too right_... I thought to myself, but for Tohru's benefit I merely gave a non-committing shrug, neither saying that I agreed or disagreed about her statement. To protect both Yuki and I, I had to remain silent about our alliance... even if it meant lying to her...

"Don't worry Tohru – everything will turn out fine." I promised her, kissing my girlfriend of two months gently on the forehead, smiling gently as she instantly turned beetroot red.

"I-I know... I just miss him Kyo-kun..." She sighed. "Not like I miss _you_ when you're not around... more like... he feels like an older brother to me, or something, and it just feels _wrong_ that he's gone... and the way Shigure's acting... its making me... well, I'm worried that Shigure did something to Yuki-kun..."

Now Tohru may be exceedingly dense at times, but she really could be perceptive, and right now it was one of the times when I actually wished she would go back to her dense self...

"There will be a reason Tohru... there will be, and even if he feels he isn't ready to tell anyone, he'll have a good reason for it, I'm sure." I told her, knowing that she was probably concerned that he didn't trust her or something like that that she would only ever think. "He'll tell you when he's ready."

"T-thanks Kyo-kun..." She replied shakily, holding my hand, almost in the way one would hug a person – which I knew she would do, if she _could_ hug me without me becoming an orange cat.

"Let's go somewhere..." I said, wanting to take her mind off the pain she was experiencing.

"What about the secret base? Yuki-kun said that he wanted me to take care of it!" She exclaimed, dragging me off into the woods, pausing for a brief moment in surprise when I didn't reject her idea. "Well... here it is..."

There, in the woods lay a small vegetable garden.

_So this must be where he gets his leeks from... I was sure I had told all the shops to refuse to sell him leeks... and yet he still kept producing them..._

I went up slowly to the garden, looking in amazement at all that he had grown. Sure, Yuki was a shit cook, but he really did seem to be able to make things grow well. All the allotments were filled of seedlings in various stages of their life, apart from one blank area, where there was a note, in Yuki's neat, precise handwriting.

_Cat, _it read.

_I know how much you hate leeks, and as Shigure would take pleasure in seeing you eat them, I took the leaks to make my own meals._

_Please eat all non-leek foods in remembrance of me *laughs*_

_The damn rat._

'Well I'll be damned...' I thought to myself as I read the note. 'He actually remembered...'


	29. Taitoku

**29.05.2010**

**Hiia reader's of _obedience_.**

**I hope you're enjoying the story, and now I'm going to have a mini-compotition in the reviews:**

**'Guess what's going to happen next'**

**For the winner, I'll write a furuba-one-shot of their choice (if you want me to lol :P)**

**Also, I'm in the process of writing an original story, and if any of you are interested in giving me suggestions about it, feel free to review or PM me to let me know.**

**Thanks**

**Kyae**

* * *

"_Yuki, you have to understand – it isn't my place to tell you Akito's problems. If you want to know what's wrong, go to her yourself."_

_With that Hatori strode off, not looking back._

_He must be crazy – I was hardly going to go to Akito and risk his rage..._

_Hold on a moment..._

_Did Hatori just say 'go to __**her**__ yourself'...?_

**Yuki's Point of View**

I froze as the realisation came to me.

Could it really be the truth?

The great secret of the Sohma family - one hidden even more than the Juunishi curse...

That our patriarch was a woman?

I-It seemed so strange... and illogical...

But at the same time it seemed to make sense, in an odd way at least...

And it made other things make more sense too... like why I had recognised that voice, that Friday night before I had gone to the main house, but not been able to place it.

But it also made everything else seem weird.

Like my entire life.

My childhood.

It just seemed so hard to comprehend that Akito, a person who had terrorised me throughout my _entire_ life, could be a female... it seemed strange that a girl could be so vindictive...

And so many questions were bursting upon my lips, questioning why this had happened... what had caused Akito to do all she had.

And why she had picked _me_ to do it on.

**Shigure's Point of View**

_Bring, bring..._

_Let it be Akito-san..._

"Moshi, moshi, Sohma Hoshi speaking. How may I help you?" A female voice that was certainly _not_ my darling Akito spoke from the other line of the phone.

_Damn..._

After all these calls from my own number to Akito's private line, I figured the phone-box call would get straight through...

Maybe she wasn't taking any chances.

Because I really had been trying to contact her.

Ever since she refused me entry to the Sohma estate (for some unknown reason a couple of days ago), things had been going downhill...

First Ayame and Hatori became distant towards me, over the last few weeks, choosing to protect that... that _**rat**_ over me – their best friend – the treacherous bastards...

Then all my store credit, and payments began to be cancelled, so that I had to repay all those fast-food restaurants and clothing shops _out of my own pocket_!

And to make matters even worse – _then_ the Sohma's had to go and change my editors, giving me some burly bloke who proceeded to _fire _me, the first time I even tried to pull a prank on him... leaving me to be forced to work in some shanty diner – the only place within walking distance (she had taken my car) that didn't have Sohma stocks in it... It was _humiliating_!

God – not even _Tohru_ made nice meals to end the day with – she'd just go about and cook simple stuff, and wouldn't even eat with me – her and Kyo would go off gallivanting to restaurants for dates constantly, and I was sure the cat was beginning to get smugger. How _dare_ the pitiful monster think he was above _me_!

And now they were moving out together in a few weeks, to a new home, courtesy of the one and only Akito.

_What_ was the woman thinking?

Was she really trying to ruin me – just for revenge on stuff that happened _years_ ago?

That girl really needed to grow up...

"Hello..." I spoke into the pay-phone, using the most seductive and charming voice that I could muster. "Would I be able to speak to Akito-san please...?"

"It's him again." I heard the bitch go and tell someone that was next to her. "Shall I hang up...?"

I held my breath – if they hung up now, I knew I wouldn't be able to get a hold of Akito again.

But if I could speak to her... well, maybe, just maybe, I could twist her around my finger again...

"Give me the phone." A voice – _her_ voice snapped at the maid, before I heard a clatter as she snatched the phone off the unfortunate chit. "What do you want Shigure?"

"What? No pleasantries Akito-san?" I smirked through the phone, determined not to let the hormonal teenager get in the way of my plans – to get myself first in the food chain... and no one else.

No matter what it took.

"Just get it over with Shigure. I don't have time for your antics." Akito snapped, but I noticed that there was something different in her voice – as if there was something on her mind.

"What's up dear Akito-san... are you still thinking back to that conversation we had a few weeks ago.

Silence.

So did that mean that she was still pining for me?

Or was it the _other_ subject of our argument that had her so mothered?

"So... Akito?" I asked, my voice sickly sweet. "How bloody was _dear_ Yuki after yesterday's meeting? Is he in hospital again?"

I smirked at that – if the rat was out of the way, then I might be able to sneak into the estate again, to be with my beloved...

"_Shut up_!" Akito growled through the phone, and I recoiled for a moment. The amount of sheer venom in her voice was almost frightening (if it was anyone but me), and I could feel an apology resting on the tip of my tongue, before I remembered of course who I was.

But I also knew there would be no way I'd be able to calm Akito down now.

And anyway, I was curious to see how the little god would react after I insulted her 'pet'.

"How _dare_ you say that you heartless _bastard_! You selfish arrogant git!" She half-shouted, and really, I couldn't resist winding her up more – I mean _come on_ she was taking it all _waaay_ to seriously – she didn't even _like_ the damn rat, and now she was like his number one fan. Sure, she had always hated it when anyone else insulted her 'toy', but that was just because she was possessive of the Juunishi, it was only natural...

Wasn't it...?

No!

No! No! No!

She can't...

"You can't... you do!" My voice was hoarse with shock as I finally realised the truth. "H-how long?"

"Ever since a certain _mutt_ showed me how little everyone else cared for me." She replied, completely unfazed by my realisation.

_She had __**planned**__ it..._

The clever bit—

"I can hear you thoughts you know mutt." She informed me, her voice smug – she felt she had the upper hand on me.

Me!

How could she assume such a thing...?

"Don't think that you've automatically won dear Akito-san..." I whispered softly, my voice at its cruellest.

I was going to knock that god right off her high horse.

And she would have only me to run to.

Even the rat will hate her when I've finished...

"After all, I'm the most cunning of your Juunishi. I _know_ you. And I _will_ have you. Dear Akito-san, when I'm done you will be _nothing_, have _nothing_. So don't you ever stop looking behind you, for I will be there. Watching. Waiting. Mark my words."

"Shut up Shigure. You're getting more pathetic by the day." The naive girl replied harshly, underestimating the lengths I would go to just to have her in my power again.

All I had to do was get the rat in my possession again, and the god would surely follow immediately, desperate to save the first Juunishi who came to her so long ago...

And Akito would know – I knew her well enough to know that she'd have realised by now...

So it was a race against time – to get the rat.

**Yuki's Point of View**

I sat at the great Sohma Lake, watching my reflection flicker in the water slowly as the day passed. Everything seemed to be moving on so quickly, and, truth be told, I could barely keep up with any of it.

How had everything changed so quickly? In barely a blink of an eyelid I found myself in such a different world.

Everything I had seemed to know had turned around completely; all my beliefs about people had been completely transformed, both for the better, the worse... and for the confusion of my mind...

Like Shigure... I had thought that I could trust him completely – he had rescued me from the torment and abuse I had been suffering from at the main house after all... I had considered him like a _brother_, I had thought of him as the brother Ayame never was...

O how wrong I was.

Who would have thought one of the only people whom I had trusted as a child – a person I had classed higher than my own _parents_ even could betray me so...

And I _still_ didn't know what I was supposed to have done to him.

Was it just another of those feuds that was started because I was the 'Nezumi'?

Or was it something deeper – something only Shigure would ever know...?

But then there was Kyo... I had always thought of him in a prejudiced way I suppose... It was what had been drilled into me from a very young age, after all... and he had treated me the same way that everyone had said that he would, and so I had had no reason to ever trust or like him...

And yet he had still been there when I had been at my most vulnerable...

Was that what a true friend was?

Someone like him who put aside all expectations of him, and me, to help someone?

And then there was Akito.

The person with so many faces, so many it was hard to see behind the facade that she had created.

There was Akito Sohma, the head of the Sohma family, the strong silent leader who had pushed the Sohma's into a new era of economic success.

There was Akito Sohma, the host to the god of the Juunishi himself...the one blessed – or cursed – with immortality as the first Sohma to have both coveted positions.

Then there was Akito, the destroyer. The one who had stood at the door of that dark room and laughed at the sight of blood pouring out of another human being.

The Akito who had relished in hurting others, without seeming to receive any hurt in return...

And then there was the true Akito – the young girl who had been forced to hide herself from the world by the person who _should_ have loved her the most... The girl who had been twisted by events that few knew, who had viewed the world as a dark place, and couldn't understand why others didn't see it in the same way as she did...

The young woman who had been constantly plagued by visions of fear, just as I had.

The person who had been shunned by her parental figure on earth...

Just like I had been shunned by my mother and father...

The girl who had never had anyone hold her with love, or_ true_ compassion from another living being, whose only friends were those cursed like she, or who wanted to be politically higher in the family...

Like me. I had never been able to make close friends due to circumstance, not until recently anyway...

The child who had no way of coping with her emotions, and so had taken it all out on the nearest scapegoat, the small child sitting next to her, who had no idea on the reasons why he was being hurt... who still didn't really know...

And I had done the same. I had taken my pain out on the cat... out on Kyo, just like he had taken his pain out on me...

Were we really that similar – Akito and I?

It was strange what one sees when they stare at the reflection of themselves in the water for a while.

I even _looked_ like Akito a bit... we had the same haircut even...

That last thought was the needle on the haystack, and I could feel my eyes blurring, as I sank to the ground, the lake gently lapping at my body as the darkness consumed me...


	30. Hitorigoto

**29.06.2010**

**Hey, welcome to the next chapter of Obedience - Hitorigoto.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter - I'm sorry its been a month since the last update, but I've had all my exams in the last month.**

**Never fear though - i'm now back and writing, although i believe the story will end within the next 5-6 chapters.**

**Therefore, it is all the more important that you go on my profile and vote for the next story you want me to write.**

**Please read and review - i only got a couple of reviews last chapter, and I sat there thinking 'have i done something wrong...?'**

**Enjoy/**

**Kyae**

* * *

Were we really that similar – Akito and I?

It was strange what one sees when they stare at the reflection of themselves in the water for a while.

I even _looked_ like Akito a bit... we had the same haircut even...

That last thought was the needle on the haystack, and I could feel my eyes blurring, as I sank to the ground, the lake gently lapping at my body as the darkness consumed me...

There are many different types of people in the world.

There are the good, and the evil.

But even then they can be split into different categories.

There are those who were born innocent, perfect... people who were born into darkness, and destruction, people whose background corrupted them from birth, turned them away from the paths they could have followed and set them on one that would cause others to feel the pain they had felt.

These people were young, naive... _helpless_ in a strange way... they were often the ones who needed the most care, and because they weren't given what their entire beings yearned for, they gave up on the world, hating it and anything in it that didn't feel the same way.

They take it out on those who they admire – who they _want_ to be like... they see the happiness in another person's eyes and want it for themselves – they want to be like that person...

And, because they can't be like that person, they choose to corrupt those who are happier, to try to fill the deep chasm inside their souls...

Naturally, they fail.

But these people aren't actually evil in essence – of course not!

These people have hopes and dreams... the wishes for a better world...

If they were presented with a situation where they could have those – they would take it.

They would choose to take the offered hand if it was held before them.

_And if they knew that someone they cared about was in danger – then they would choose to find them._

People like Akito-sama.

But there were also those who were born evil – people whom were _designed_ to be evil – and people who choose to follow that path willingly, with no regard to fighting it off to save others.

People who wouldn't care if those they... 'Cared' for got hurt.

They would see all expenses as 'collateral damage'... they wouldn't see the true person within the being.

And if someone got in their way of something they lusted for, then that person would be taken down.

_If they knew that person's vulnerabilities, then they wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of those vulnerabilities._

People like Shigure.

And so when my eyes fluttered open to see a bright light shining in them and behind them a pair of darkened eyes, then I knew that it wouldn't be the first type of evil that would finish me off, rather the second type, the evil who pretends to be your friend before stabbing you in the back.

But the funny thing is, when I saw the foot connect with my face, and my sight go blurry again, I didn't feel angry, or scared.

I felt calm – as if I were accepting my fate...

*** Third Person ***

"Where is he Hatori?" The enraged god snapped at the Doctor as she stormed into the office.

"Yuki, Akito-san?" The Doctor looked up from his notes calmly, seeming unconcerned by the reasons for her anger.

"_Yes_!" She growled, collapsing onto the sofa in frustration (though if anyone else saw her, that would never be the word they would choose, after all, gods _never_ 'collapse' onto things...)

"Akito-san, pray, calm down, and start from the beginning." Hatori soothed, feeling that that was what Akito needed now, rather than a hard hand, and so he grasped a mug from his counter and poured her a drink, trying to calm down the girl he thought of almost as a little (annoying) sister.

"I-I saw him Hatori, in the gardens... I went to find him... and he was _gone_!" She tried to explain, but the doctor still couldn't see why that in itself was bad.

Until she took a sip of her drink and continued to explain.

"H-he... well... he wasn't there... but something else was..." She whispered her eyes downcast, darkened, and_ scared_. "There was _blood_ Hatori... _His_ blood..."

Hatori instantly stood up, moving to grab his briefcase.

"You are sure that it is _his_ blood, Akito-san?" The emotionless doctor asked, packing medical equipment into his bag. "Positive? Was there anything else there?"

"Just a bit of paper," Akito shrugged, more concerned about the blood than the piece of paper.

"Do you have it?"

"No... I left it there..." She said, her eyes widening as she realised the implications behind what he was asking, and rushing out of the house to find it, the Doctor less than a meter behind her, his face turning momentarily as he saw a black BMW leave the estate, the tinted windows not allowing him to see who was driving the car at all... but he recognised the car.

Well... he recognised that the car was a Sohma car, and that it didn't' belong to a particular Juunishi.

But that didn't mean _anything_. The cars were just waiting there to be collected.

"There it is." Akito pointed to the piece of paper on the floor, and Hatori picked it up, reading it.

AKITO

YOU REMEMBER ME?

YOU **SHOULD**.

YOU FORCED ME TO DO THIS.

THEN STOPPED.

WHY?

WELL, IT'S TOO LATE NOW.

YOU UNDERESTIMATED THE PROMISES THAT WERE MADE BY—

-ME.

Silently, Hatori passed the note to Akito, who read it slowly, turning pale.

"Akito-san? What's wrong? Do you know who wrote the note?" The Doctor asked the god softly, before guiding her into the waiting car. "Where do we go first?"

"Shigure. We go to Shigure's first. I-If he doesn't have him, then he'll try to get him next, once he knows... So get someone to follow him." Akito whispered firmly, her mind whirring until she stopped upon the answer to the question.

*** Akito's Point of View ***

Yuki.

I love him.

He... he's like a little brother to me... someone really close...

He saved me.

And so I owe him, even if he would never accept that...

And yet all of this is _still_ my fault.

All those stupid things that I did...

They... they're still coming back to haunt me...

WHY WON'T THEY STOP?

WHY?

Sure, I had been the one to order the notes to be sent at first... I had been scared, so scared that he was going to leave me...

But I didn't want them to hurt him _this_ much.

I... I just wanted him to return to me... like they all should...

That's why I was careful as to who I made send the notes – I didn't want Yuki destroyed _completely_ – **never**!

I just didn't account for **another** to betray me, either...

*** ?'s Point of View ***

I sat there, in the house, watching the teenager sleep... well, maybe not _sleep_, but rest.

How had all of this happened?

I mean, he had **hated** Akito – he always had hated the god... and still had, the last time I had seen him.

And then _two days ago_ I had seen him there, sitting next to Akito, calm as you like, not even flinching.

He actually _fell asleep_ next to him...

Yuki would _never_ do that, not even in front of his friends, not unless he was ill.

And yet there he was, happy as you like, with the bastard, not even scared.

I felt betrayed.

Why couldn't Yuki be like that when he was with all of us...?

I had only accepted the task of writing those notes so that he would rely on me more, and turn even further away from everyone else – he wasn't _meant_ to be with people like them... they all don't see him for who he really is.

Sure, a part of me, a lighter side rebels against what I'm doing – but it is for the best.

And soon they'll all know it.

Soon.

_Knock, knock_...

There's someone at the door now, probably one of those humans who think they know what's best...

Well, they won't find Yuki here – and then I'll be able to get what I've wanted for a long time.

And they won't be able to stop me.

I'm done with being **obedient** to _anyone_ – no more for me.

They'll learn that they shouldn't underestimate me...

*** Akito's Point of View ***

The journey to Shigure's was unbearably silent – neither Hatori nor I spoke throughout the whole ride – I don't think we _could_. I was too busy thinking about what I had done... and he was worried too.

And full of hate.

Hatori knew what Shigure was like, but he hadn't seen him – not face to face, since he had discovered what had happened to Yuki.

Well, if I still liked the mutt, I'd feel sorry for him – an angry Hatori was one few would enjoy to see, especially when his calm rage was directed at _you_.

Sure, I had never been at the end of it in person – it was a cruel part of the curse that they couldn't hate me aloud, but deep down I doubt the surly Doctor ever forgave me for what I did to his fiancé.

And I don't blame him.

I don't think that _anyone_ would forgive me for what I've done to all the Juunishi.

I've hurt them all, some way or another, even if it wasn't directly at them.

Other than Shigure.

Shigure wouldn't let _anyone_ get to him... and even _I_ could never find what made him tick.

He just didn't have emotions to manipulate.

Not true emotions.

Stepping out of the car Hatori and I made our way to the door, and just as Hatori was about to knock on the door, I just pushed past him and opened it, knowing the house well enough that Tohru Honda _never_ locked the back door.

"A-Akito-san..." The girl gasped as she came out of the room, almost dropping the tray of food that she was carrying.

"Hello, Honda-san, I was wondering if Shigure was perhaps in today. I have a need to talk about something important to him." I spoke softly to her, careful to make sure that my utter loathing was hidden in my voice.

It wouldn't do to lose my temper to an innocent party and have Shigure get away.

"He went out for a while, Akito-san." She replied, looking slightly nervous. "He said he'd be back soon though..."

"That's fine, Tohru-kun." Hatori replied before I could say anything. "We shall wait in his office for his arrival."

"Okay." She smiled, obviously looking relieved.

Immediately I made my way to his office, however, just as I was out of sight I heard Tohru Honda ask Hatori something.

"H-Hatori-san... Yuki-kun... is he alright...?" She whispered, and I smiled internally that the girl still cared for him, despite her new relationship with the cat. "I haven't really seen him since he's moved to your house... Akito-san hasn't..."

"No, Akito-san hasn't done anything to Yuki, and he's fine." Hatori lied, reassuring the girl before we made our way up Shigure's office.

"So now, we wait..." I whispered, sitting on Shigure's best chair, spinning around to his desk, before searching through his things, emailing a few manuscripts to his editor (that he'd tried to hide) before finally giving in to boredom and waiting in silence, wondering what on earth had possessed him to buy this hideous chair.

"Kyoooo-kuun, Tohru-kuuun! I'm home..." Shigure called into the house, but when he apparently got no response he went upstairs sullenly, opening the door loudly, before freezing in shock.

"Hello Shigure." I whispered, sitting in his chair like an evil villain (because it's fun).

"Akito!" Shigure smiled for a moment before his smirk melted off his face as he took in the look I was sending him...

... And the fact that he saw Hatori standing next to his book collection, throwing them one-by-one out of the window into the woods...

*** Yuki's Point of View, half an hour earlier ***

The next time my eyes opened it was evening – the red sky glinting through the window ever so slightly.

"Drink." A voice that was darkened spoke, shoving a beaker into my hand, and I drank up gratefully, before finally catching a glimpse of my captor.

"You...? B-but _why_...?" I whispered, as the captors dark grey eyes bore into mine.


	31. Bakuro

**21.07.2010**

**So here it is - the next chapter of Obedience. I'd like to thank all those who have reviewed - you really do help a writer when they have writer's block, and so I thank you for taking the time to press the little button below and commenting on my chapter ^^**

**In addition to uploading this chapter, I've also submitted artwork to DeviantART under 'Kyaechi' for one of my forum characters, if any of you are interested in checking it out.**

**Thanks for your time, please read and review ^^**

**Kyae**

* * *

_The next time my eyes opened it was evening – the red sky glinting through the window ever so slightly._

"_Drink." A voice that was darkened spoke, shoving a beaker into my hand, and I drank up gratefully, before finally catching a glimpse of my captor._

"_You...? B-but why...?" I whispered, as the captors dark grey eyes bore into mine._

*** Akito's Point of View, Shigure's house ***

"A-Akito-san! W-what do I owe the... pleasure of your visit to?" He whispered in shock, still half-staring at Hatori as the doctor continued tossing books out of the window, breaking the spines as he did so – a feat that made Shigure want to kill the dragon, _anyone_ could tell that.

But they could also, just as easily, tell that he wouldn't do anything about it.

Not whilst Hatori was on my good side, and the mutt _wasn't_.

You see, Shigure, primarily, was a coward.

"I have a problem Shigure." I stated, standing up, putting one of the stupid cats that had made its way into the dog's office down, and advancing towards him. "And I _dearly_ hope that you aren't the cause of it..."

"I-I don't understand, Akito..." He trailed off, and I was surprised to see genuine puzzlement in his eyes.

I had begun to think that the dog didn't have a genuine bone in his body...

Well, you learn a new thing every day, that's what some stupid philosopher said, and it turns out _sometimes_ they're correct!

"Where _is_ he, you damn dog?" I asked roughly, not letting him see that I had recognised his confusion, wanting to get as much information from the 'honest' (for once) dog. "What have you _done_ with him?"

"L-look... I-I can assure you Akito-san; I-I don't know what you're talking about..." He replied instantly, trying to keep his eyes on all of the factors of the room – the angry god charging at him, fury in her eyes not being his only problem when watching the usually calm doctor destroying parts of his office, and backing up against the closed door for sanctuary from the onslaught...

... The door that opened up almost immediately, causing the dog to fall onto the floor ineloquently, the orange haired idiot standing there, looking down on him, a look of disgust on his face, for _once_ doing something useful in his pitiful life...

I may have changed _a little_, but until the cat made something of his life – and beat the tales about him, _not_ Yuki, then he would still be kept away.

That was one thing I had no control over.

If the stupid elders (who I will have killed off as soon as I'm of age and can control the estate perfectly) let _my_ Juunishi have a life, then it would be fine.

Of course, _they_ decreed that no one else was to know of their involvement.

So they all hate _me_.

True, there were _some_ things that I had done off my own anger, but not the cold calculating stuff...

Not _all_ the time...

"Akito." The Cat nodded to me, in acknowledgement, his gaze still on the dog, hate blaring in his eyes as the man's eyes widened, the body scuttling backwards after said eyes.

"Kyo." I replied, before deciding to see if the cat knew where Yuki was. "Do you know where Yuki-kun is?"

Kyo's reaction was something I must say that I never anticipated.

After all, the cat is _meant_ to hate the rat...

I had studied the past Juunishi's for a long time now (come on – what _else_ could I do at home bored?) and never in existence had the cat defended the rat.

_Never_.

"So he's finally run away from you? What the hell has he done to piss you off now – _blinked?"_ He half-snarled at me, anger flaring in his eyes as he took a step towards me, his eyes meeting mine solidly, and I almost took a step back in shock at his outburst. _Almost_. "Can't you just leave him alone for once in your bloody life?"

So Yuki had confided in Kyo now?

The curse really _must_ be weakening.

And yet, for some reason it didn't bother me – not like it had used to...

After all, _I_ had let go of my claim to Yuki – the Nezumi, so why couldn't the cat let go of his hatred for the rat?

"Times change, Kyo." Hatori spoke up, knowing that I couldn't – no now, when turmoil was flowing through my veins. "And anyway, he's _not_ run away. He's been taken. Kidnapped."

At this Kyo's fascinating red eyes flashed angrily, (Come on – who _wouldn't_ be fascinated at a pair of **natural** red eyes?) and he kicked the dog, threatening him, instantly coming up with the same conclusion that Hatori and I had originally come up with.

"Where is he?" The cat growled at the dog, and yet Shigure _still_ had that look of confusion on his face.

"I haven't taken Yuki – why would I?" He asked, and everyone else raised their eyebrows (or eye_brow_ in my case) in disbelief. "I haven't done anything – _honest_!"

"Then do you know who _would_ have done such a thing as this, Shigure?" I asked, wondering if it really had been that person who had sent another note...

Tormenting me with my own orders, and flipping them on their head.

"Well, I haven't _seen_ anything... but one day a mobile was left here, and it had some _very_ interesting texts on the 'sent' list..." He spoke, standing up and moving to his favourite red tiger-print leather chair, pulling out a phone from his desk and throwing it to me.

That chair had always irritated me – it was as blasphemous to Haru and Kisa as heresy was to other religions.

We didn't have a religion – just a curse...

But I put those thoughts aside as I caught the phone, and opened it.

Reading the texts, horror and shame filling my face, as I realised yet again what my jealousy had done.

And, the phone was one I recognised all too well...

It was one that I had given him...

"I know where we need to go." I spoke softly, before moving to Shigure. "And _you_! If I find out that you have had _anything_ to do with this, you can say goodbye to _any_ chance of starting a family, with or without the Sohma's money..."

At that all three men in the room flinched, and I smiled grimly, knowing that they knew that I would indeed carry out the act myself if anyone had anything to do with this.

"Can you drive us back to the main estate Hatori?" I asked as we got into the car. "But this time, park outside the compound, just near the woodland paths, okay?"

Hatori merely nodded, but I could see the confusion in his eyes as he followed my orders to the letter.

"You – make sure the mutt doesn't get anywhere _near_ a phone." I ordered Kyo, fury in me, and for once he didn't chat back.

"My _pleasure_." He replied, smirking, and Shigure now looked even _more_ than he had before.

_Now all we need to do is find Yuki... __**before**__ something bad happens..._

*** Yuki's Point of View ***

"_You_...? B-but why...?" I whispered, as the captors dark grey eyes bore into mine.

"Why?" The teen repeated in disgust, almost snarling, coming closer to the bed, and causing me to flinch back. "Because of you being... _brainwashed_ by that bastard!"

What?

_Brainwashed_?

How had he come to _that_ conclusion?

Yeah, sure it would be a little odd that Akito-sama and I were... getting on, but _no one_ could come to the conclusion that I was actually being _controlled_ by Akito – there was no way it was possible!

And even if Hatori _had_ been called in, then wouldn't he have suppressed the memories of the _fear_ of Akito to get me to like her?

_Not_ leave them in?

So, there was no way that I could believe his views...

But the mere fact that he _thought_ that...

"W-what makes you think that?" I asked him, looking around for a means of escape, from both this room and the situation I had been put in.

"Because of what you're _doing_ – you _moved in here_, and then went to him! The _real_ Yuki wouldn't do that – you wouldn't go to Akito _alone_. You wouldn't even hang out with _me_ – you chose to go to that bastard instead!"

So he was still remembering _that_... but it didn't mean that he had to keep bringing it up...

"You _know_ I had to go..." I whispered, but to no avail.

"Yes – but that never stopped you skiving with _me_ instead! You used to tell me _everything_... we used to have something _special_..."

"You know I don't swing that way." I deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at him, and at the moment something in the younger boy snapped...

As if me doing that one action could turn him dark...

_Black_...

Then, too late, I realised _why_ this had happened.

Because when I had done that, I had copied one of _Akito's_ mannerisms...

It had made it seem even more like I had been controlled by Akito...

"YOU THINK AKITO'S SO **PRECIOUS** BUT REALLY HE'S A FAKE!" **Black Haru** screamed at me, shoving me to the bed, the bonds on me breaking under the strain. "NO MATTER WHAT HE'S SAID HE **DOESN'T** CARE FOR YOU!"

But I knew that Akito _did_.

Not because of anything that she had **said**, but because of what I had **seen**, when she was at her most vulnerable.

And so instead of recoiling like I _might_ have done, I just stood up, angry.

"Don't talk about matter's that don't concern you Hatsuharu. What does or does not happen between Akito and I is _none of your concern_." I told him, barely managing to contain my anger, but knowing that I had to in order to ensure both his, and my safety.

Haru didn't even bother answering me – he didn't even _look_ at me as he left the room, as if I were nothing to him anymore...

For two hours I sat there in the insufferable silence, pacing the room patiently. Sure, he hadn't tied me up, but that didn't mean that if I tried to escape he'd leave me unbound... No... I needed to wait.

_Someone_ would realise sooner or later that I had been taken...

Surely?

_Stop thinking like that Yuki..._ I rebuked myself. _They'll find you. Don't doubt it for a second._

And yet for some reason the doubts still clouded my mind.

Haru and I... we're _friends_... so why did he feel the need to kidnap me?

Of course, no one can answer that, and he certainly won't... I can only guess... but here, in the dark, _alone_, I'm nothing... I've just been left clueless.

Yet again.

I looked around the room again, pacing, my teeth gnawing upon my lip as I placed my hand silently upon the wall and leaned against it, desperate to find a door, or a window...

So I could at least know where I was.

_Why..._

Why did he have to do it...?

To become _this_...?

My mind whirred around, replaying all I had heard from the Oushi:

'_You used to tell me__** everything**__... we used to have something __**special**__...'_

It's silly... it almost sounds as if he wants me to himself...

As if he _wanted _me...

But he's not like that...

He has Isuzu...

He's always joking when he says that he loves me...

I-Isn't he...?


	32. Toritsukareru

**16.08.2010**

**Hullo all. A quick Author Note this time - I just want to thank all who have read this story, reviewing along the way. It really means a lot to authors, and I want to express this gratitude properly.**

**Finally, the story is drawing to a conclusion - and I have a question for all of you.**

**I have the next (and possible last) chapter written, and it ends at a kind of cliff-hanger like moment, but it is a very effective ending.**

**Should I write an epilogue, or would you all be content with that?**

**I'm only asking because i have no idea what to put in the epilogue lol.**

**Please tell me in either a review or private message**

**Yours,**

**Kyae**

* * *

_Why..._

_Why did he have to do it...?_

_To become this...?_

_My mind whirred around, replaying all I had heard from the Oushi:_

'_You used to tell me__** everything**__... we used to have something __**special**__...'_

_It's silly... it almost sounds as if he wants me to himself..._

_As if he __**wanted**__ me..._

_But he's not like that..._

_He has Isuzu..._

_He's always joking when he says that he loves me..._

_I-Isn't he...?_

*** Hatsuharu's Point of View ***

"Don't talk about matter's that don't concern you Hatsuharu. What does or does not happen between Akito and I is _none of your concern_."

The words echoed through the room, resounding off the walls tauntingly into my ears as I stared at the unfazed boy.

He was so... infuriating when he was like this.

So calm, so _powerful_.

So gullible...

_Why_ couldn't he see that Akito was controlling him?

It was so _obvious_ – why the fuck would Akito like the rat in the first place – not after all that the God had done to the cry-baby when they were little.

So why is he allowing the rat back – he said that he _hated_ Yuki...

That he didn't want him...

And Yuki was meant to be **mine**!

Sure, I had agreed to send those messages to him – but it was all for the best.

Yeah, I knew it would hurt my Yuki... but it was necessary...

For when he got those texts, and was at his weakest, then _I_ would be there, ready to comfort him, there for him in his 'time of need'.

Truth be told, I didn't even really know _why_ the stupid texts were upsetting him so much – I mean _come on_ – he's a TRAITOR – he should be _**used**_ to it!

And so I planned to 'be there' for him – and yet _still_ he was suspicious!

He had no clue that it was _me_ sending those texts – if he _had_, then I still could have explained it away.

After all; who can disobey 'god'?

He was that pathetic that he would believe it!

And then he would be **mine**.

But now everything was going wrong...

Wrong, wrong, WRONG!

He wasn't _supposed_ to leave that house – and be _happy_!

He wasn't _supposed_ to have forgiven Akito... to have _accepted_ what happened!

He wasn't _supposed_ to have gone back to him!

No, he was meant to be filled with rage, and hate, and loathing for the god of the Juunishi, willing to do _anything_ to get away from him...

Willing to do anything for Haru to save him again... For _me_ to save him...

And now it was all going down the drain...

The sounds of his feet pacing the room, searching for escape is there, constantly as I sit in the only other room to the shack – I had to move him from the main house...

But those thuds...

Just like a heart beat...

Beating again... and again...

And again...

_Thud-thud..._

_Thud-thud..._

_Thud-thud..._

Driving me insane!

I can't take it anymore!

So what if he starves for now?

I'll come back... maybe I could get Hatori to restore the memories...

After all, _no one_ would think that the 'dumb ox' could really be so manipulative...

That's why I had managed to get Yuki.

And in three days time, as soon as I could get the van that a friend had promised, I could get Yuki and I out of the country...

With no Akito to bother us.

Sure, he wouldn't like it – not at first.

Today's performance had shown that.

But he would learn...

Learn that life was better if he _followed_ me, rather than go against me...

Hatori.

He's who I need.

The only one who can sort this out.

*** Third Person ***

As the car moved through the Sohma estate, the tension within the black limousine was unbearable. If it hadn't been for the fact that both occupants had too much on their minds then they would have found the overbearing silence suffocating, but as it was, they were both too absorbed by their own inner thoughts to notice anything outside their minds.

Akito, young, naive Akito was sitting there in her favourite corner of her car, her knees to her face, her chin resting elegantly upon her pointy knees, staring out of the far window, her eyes seeming to gaze for something outside, and yet the woman's brain wouldn't allow her to register anything that was going past, her brain too busy thinking about how she would tell Hatori about what she had ordered Haru to do.

Sure, it had seemed a good idea at the time, especially since she _knew_ that no one would find out...

But _now_...

Now, she felt like a little child who had stolen a cookie out of the cookie jar, and had to go to her father to confess.

For there was something about Hatori that consoled the young god – in her mind he was almost like the father that died when she was only five years old – the father she _should_ have had.

He was strong, solid, and cared for her... he never turned away – never sided with _that woman_, and rebuked that Shigure when he _did_ fall into the temptations of the old wrinkly hag (and why he could lower himself even further to go inside the wrinkles of that insufferable woman she would never know...).

And, most of all, she felt as if she could almost tell him _anything_.

He was the one person who had listened to her when she cried, late at night.

Sure, he was _paid_ to care for her, but it wasn't in his job description to care for her emotional side, to make sure she didn't give up the hope to live...

No, he had been chosen because he was _the best_ at what he did, and not because he cared for the head of their family.

And yet still he cared...

Sitting next to her, his back solid and stern, his face a facade of immovability, his eyes focussed on the scene that was coming towards them from the car window, was Hatori himself. She had always admired the drive inside him, but now she could see that it was also bad...

Too much drive led to greed... and yet still he didn't succumb to the path that one of his closest friends had.

Indeed, Shigure was Lucifer reincarnate, and Hatori was like... well, he was almost like Gabriel himself, if she were the god.

Yet in the doctor's mind, a completely different set of thoughts were whirring through his head.

After all, he didn't know the dark secret that harboured in Akito – he knew_ something_ was wrong, but couldn't for the life of him guess what was going round her head.

And so he let his mind wander to the thoughts that had plagued him before.

About Shigure.

They had been friends!

Not long ago if someone had asked him the top five people he trusted then Shigure would have been _guaranteed_ a place on that list.

Less than a month ago, almost...

And now...

Now the man was little more than scum in the eyes of the doctor – a backstabbing brutal manipulative bastard who would trample (almost literally) on his relatives to gain favour – and would even betray the woman he supposedly _loved_ just to prove his power and 'rights'...

Looking back on it, the doctor wondered how he could have been so bloody _blind_!

The clues had been _everywhere_ – hidden deep within every single word that came out of that unclean mouth of his, and enclosed in every deed he performed.

The selfish intentions that he had failed to see...

And in his failure to see them, he had also failed Akito – he was meant to look out for her, to protect her from the cruelties of the outside world (her words, not his), and yet he had blindly allowed her to become more twisted...

He had failed Ayame – the perceptive man, despite all of his follies and silly behaviour he was a really good judge of character...

And he had just ignored his hushed whispers about Shigure, even when they had all been the 'Mabudachi trio' in school... he had just pretended he didn't see the truth about the man, and continued on with his life...

And, most of all, he had failed Yuki... Young, innocent Yuki... Sure, Shigure may not have been the one to kidnap him _now_, but he sure as hell made Yuki's life hell whilst the boy lived under the terror's roof... Akito was _nothing_ when it came to vengeance like Shigure, and to imagine even for a moment the fear he must have felt when he realised what that manipulator had done...

It must have been unbearable.

But that wasn't the most pressing issue... not now...

No, what he needed to do now was to fine Yuki, and make sure that he was alive.

"Do you think he'll be hurt Hatori...?" A small voice whispered from her corner of the car, and Hatori turned his face stoically to face the speaker, thinking about the question for a moment.

"I... I don't know, Akito-san..." He replied honestly, leaning forward and pressing the button to the intercom, speaking to the driver at the other end of the tinted screen. "Stop at the surgery – not the one at the main house, the one in town. I need to pick up some supplies."

There, a place nice and out of the way. If the kidnapper was watching the Sohma estate then he would _know_ that Hatori and Akito were gathering materials to help an injured one... At least now he could keep to Akito's request of remaining hidden, at least until they knew who had taken Yuki, and could stop them.

Stepping into the freshly refurbished offices, Hatori walked through the crowds of those waiting for an appointment from one of his trainees and internally sighed, glad that the only work that he did other than care for the Sohma family was take on an intern or two to run the private practice he had inherited from his uncle, and to train the odd student or two... there had been a few interesting applicants recently, a young student of Medicine from Tokyo who wanted to learn from 'the best' (the boy's words), and even more unusual a high-school graduate (well, in a few months time) who wished to go into a separate branch of medicine, using less common methods of healing, who was having a trial after schools.

Haji...

Or was it Anaji...?

Hanajima– that was it!

"Sohma-sensei..." Her strange monotonous voice that reminded the man of his own came up to him, her black hair tied up in a bun, her electric violet eyes unnerving patients, and yet causing them to listen to her, and give her their full attention as she spoke.

"Yes, Hanajima-kun?" He asked, hoping that the girl wasn't going to start asking about something that would take too much time to explain.

"Hatsuharu-kun is in your office, wishing to speak to you about something." She intoned, her eyes boring into his. "He _seems_ very worried... and was desperate to contact you... Something about Sohma-kun."

"Thank you, Hanajima-kun." The man replied, moving to his offices. "Make sure no one disturbs me. I'm not giving treatments today.

"Yes Sohma-sensei." She replied, before lowering her voice. "Hatsuharu's waves change quiet frequently, especially when he is fighting Kyo-kun... but this time, his waves are something completely different... like the Fanclub girl's that follow Sohma-kun around..."

And with that, she wandered off dreamily, allowing Hatori to make his way to his office, wondering what the girl had been talking about.

Oh – Tohru had mentioned something like that before... something about Hanajima-kun being able to sense dempa waves...

But she didn't seem to be able to sense the curse...

Then again, would she even _know_ what it means?

So... she had to mean about when the Oushi turned into 'black Haru', then didn't she...?

But what did she mean about him being similar to _Fanclub girls_...

Unless...

Unless she was referring to the obsession within them...

Then that would be bad.

**Very bad**...

"Hatori!" The Ox's frantic voice came into his ears as he opened the door, peering in, and noticing something off about the boy who stood there. "I'm glad you finally came..."

"What's wrong Hatsuharu-kun?" The doctor asked, pausing for a fraction of a second as he realised what had bugged him about the boy, when he had first seen him.

Instead of being his usual darkish grey, his eyes were a style he had only seen in a few unfortunate souls.

Just like 'black Haru', they were dark black...

But this time, they were streaked with red.

Blood red.

_Insanity_...


	33. Korobu Koutaishidenka

**10.09.2010**

**Gosh - the penultimate chapter definatly now! I've written an epilogue, and now it's time for the final chapter...**

**434 days of writing so far (I think)... How the times flown...**

**Thank you to all those who have taken the time to review - it really helps a writer ^^**

**For the next to last time:**

**Kyae**

* * *

"_What's wrong Hatsuharu-kun?" The doctor asked, pausing for a fraction of a second as he realised what had bugged him about the boy, when he had first seen him._

_Instead of being his usual darkish grey, his eyes were a style he had only seen in a few unfortunate souls._

_Just like 'black Haru', they were dark black..._

_But this time, they were streaked with red._

_Blood red._

_**Insanity...**_

*** Haru's Point of View ***

_Perhaps another time..._

"I-It's Yuki..." I whispered, pretending to be worried, not sure how much the Doctor knew.

"You know where he is?" He cut in suddenly, and I faltered, understanding now that they realised that the boy was missing... and so I wouldn't be able to get Hatori on my side now, not if he had seen the note...

"No... Not now..." I whispered, as if I were unsure what he was talking about. "The last time I saw him was a few days ago... maybe Saturday or something... Why do you need to know where he is? Wasn't he with Akito?"

_The bastard..._

"Oh..." He muttered, slumping against his chair, before moving to grab medical supplies from under his desk. "Well, Yuki's gone... missing..."

_Perhaps another place..._

"What are you doing _here _then?" I demanded, falling easily into the role of the 'stupid' Oushi, and fooling the Doctor. "Shouldn't you be out **looking **for him?"

"We _are_ Hatsuharu-kun." He reprimanded softly, indicating for me to sit down.

_We_?

As in Akito was _actually_ looking for him?

I knew he was possessive, but this is just getting too much...

Yuki won't have any room to _breathe_ if Akito begins to suspect too much... after all, he'll know instantly that it were I who sent the notes... But he's also paranoid enough not to tell his dragon anything either.

_A place where all our dreams would be embraced..._

How could we escape the Sohma confides if Akito was doing his best to keep us together in his world?

"So what did you want Hatsuharu-kun?" He asked, glancing at his watch, and I knew that I needed to stall him as much as possible, so that Akito wouldn't know – after all, if he realised I were up here with Hatori, then he's order my 'capture' immediately, preventing me and Yuki from being free...

"I-I was just wondering... have you erased his memories?" I asked shakily, putting in my voice the right amount of curiosity and hostility for him to believe me.

"What?" The doctor frowned slightly, and even I had to admit that his acting was good – but not as good as mine. "Surely you're not suggesting that I would..."

"You've done it many a time before Hatori." I reminded him. "So why should this be any different? And don't even bother denying it – I _know_ Yuki hates Akito – so why was he defending him when I last saw him? Why did he **choose** to go to Akito's house on his own? Why didn't he just run away?"

"Look, Hatsuharu-kun... maybe Yuki's just learning to forgive Akito-san..." Hatori began, but I would have none of it.

_Perhaps a distant land..._

How could even _he_ believe that Yuki wasn't being controlled by Akito?

Well, it only confirmed my fears, all of it.

We were alone.

Yuki and I.

And so we would need to do what we did best – stick together through it all.

Sure, he wouldn't like it at the beginning, but we could work through it... he'd learn to depend on me, and to be mine... like I'm his...

_At some other time..._

If only I had gotten to him earlier... even a **day** earlier, before he went to Akito's place...

He would have been fully willing to stay with me if I had gotten to him then – he had **hated** Akito then...

And then Hatori would have been on my side.

_A simple life beyond the bounds of this curse_

"I hope you find him." I lied sincerely, making to stand up.

"You'll call me, if you see him, won't you?" Hatori asked seriously, and I nodded vaguely as I left his office, passing one of Tohru's friends as I did so.

Things were moving quicker than I had thought... to be honest, I had thought that Akito wouldn't have cared about Yuki not being there for _days_ – that he wouldn't have found the note until we had left the country...

_A safe place for us_

But now...

I had to get back to him.

Sure, I had made sure that he couldn't escape from the inside, but if someone came walking along from the outside, then it would only be a matter of minutes until Yuki would be free.

And so I had to get there before any of them did.

_Where the night will embrace us_

I would make sure that Yuki was safe.

As dusk fell I knew that there was only a matter of hours before they found him – after all, I had had to hide several times on the way there, Akito's car moving slowly through the woods, the doctor and the 'god' getting out frequently to search for him, his eyes piercing with fury.

I had to get to him before Akito did.

It was the only way to keep him safe...

Looking down at the black gun that lay perfectly in my hand I knew it was the only way of stopping all of this – of stopping the perfection that was Yuki from being corrupted by the all-consuming Akito.

It was the only way.

The only way...

So that we could be together **forever**...

_A safe place to go, to keep the world at bay_

*** Yuki's Point of View ***

Three hours later and I was still in the same situation as I was before.

I was trapped.

Haru had gone mad.

And no one knew where I was.

Oh – and I was slowly becoming more and more hungry.

_Are there no stars?_

Even the night's sky, which usually brought me so much comfort, especially when I was younger was a stranger to me – gone were the stars, hidden between a mask of clouds as I looked out upon the sky, scrutinising it for even a remote hint of hope.

_Out there in that open sky_

Staring out into the sky it was my one and only wish to be free from this all. Sure, being a member of the Juunishi – and a prominent one at that brought about its problems, but **nothing** on a scale like this. Loads of previous Nezumi's had lived their lives nice and simply, without being bothered by the trivial things in life like being **kidnapped** because the Oushi thought that the god had taken the Nezumi's free will from him.

Why couldn't my life be **simple** for one?

_To free me from these chains of life, yet somehow remain near?_

For it was me who had brought this about – being so... _perfect_ all my life, allowing people to see what they wanted in me, and not allowing them to see the true me – the one that was constantly untidy, the one that couldn't wake up in the morning for anything, not even Akito...

The Yuki who actually _hated_ most of the people there at school... hated them because they chose to see a facade, and not who he really was...

They had created a position for me, and I, ever the naive child had blindly stepped into it, and now I couldn't get out of it.

_Is there another world..._

_... Where life is blind enough to see_

Show me a life where I'm not stuck here... where I don't have to be locked away from the outside world, forever a slave to the curse.

For I was just as much a slave of the Sohma family as a Prince – all of us were, in a manner of speaking, whether we were cursed or not.

Forced on by desperation, I sat up on the makeshift bed that had been put in the room, moving to the window, and finding it unlocked...

... But on the first floor, with an eight-foot drop (about two and a half meters for those who use the metric system) to the ground, and no hope of dropping down without getting hurt.

_That even 'Princes' should be free_

_A place where I could live_

_Like any other man..._

'_Well...'_ I thought drily to myself,_ 'I'm never going to get out of here if I don't __**try**__...'_

Staring out of the window I paused for a moment, looking down into the forest and wondering what I could attempt.

'_Now, if only I had a rope...'_

Moving around the room I began to think about how foolish Haru had been... he had made this entire detailed scheme to capture me, and yet he hadn't given a single thought as to how he would make sure that I would remain.

Had he really thought that I would be that weakened that I would remain here?

Like some... docile _dog_?

Did he really think that little of me?

_Is this naught but some dark cruel dream?_

_Full of our evil?_

_Or does fate just choose to strike once more?_

Well, I wasn't going to let anything they said, or anything any of them did take over me now.

I was tired of being the downtrodden rat – the whipping boy.

I had made my choice.

To accept and forgive Akito.

To move on with my life without holding onto the cruel forces that forced me into that dark space.

And if I had to get out of the country, move on to do that – then I would.

_Standing here I'm lost_

_Trapped in the game of reality_

_I smile for the world to see_

_Although within I scream_

They never saw past the mask – they didn't _want_ to.

And now they wouldn't need to.

Using the bedding to scale the ivory out of the window I ran.

And ran.

And ran.

Everything was just whirring around in my brain, stopping me from thinking clearly.

I didn't notice anything around me – not the headlamps right in front of me.

Not the figure in the shadows.

Not even the force as I was ricocheted back from the momentum that the car caused did I flinch, my mind was so gone to the world.

_My life here as prince_

_Is nothing but hell to me!_

_I'd give it up if I were free_

_Like any other man_

As the world went into slow-motion, all colour draining from before my eyes I watched on, almost as if I were a third-person viewer, watching on with a cold interest, as if it were not really happening to me.

As I looked on, there were three things that came into my vision, three things that, had I been attached to the emotions within me, I would have never noticed.

First, was the expression that was on Akito's face – in her very eyes.

They looked so much older than I had ever seen them... so haunted... not even when she had been apologising had they been like this.

Because now, there was also a sense of fear in them.

As if she were afraid of losing the boy that was on the cold forest floor.

Me.

But no... I wasn't dying... I couldn't be...

Second, only one light of the front lights on the car were alight – the other wasn't working, a round hole within the lens that seemed to prevent the lamp from working...

And third, in the trees there was that same shadow, the last thing I saw as the world went black.

_So that I could live_

_Like any other man._


	34. Shimekukuri

**10.10.2010**

**Thank you dearly to all those who have reviewed, read and favourited this story. It's been an unbelievably amazing journey and I've been honoured to get the chance to adopt the beginning of this amazing story.**

**Thank you to the 339 reviews, 14,433 hits, 50 favs, 55 alerts and 1 community add, and especially Tuli-chan, whose been reading and helping me from the beginning ^^ It's been an amazing journey.**

**Once more,**

**Kyae/x**

Chapter 34 – Shimekukuri

(The End)

_But no... I wasn't dying... I couldn't be..._

_Second, only one light of the front lights on the car were alight – the other wasn't working, a round hole within the lens that seemed to prevent the lamp from working..._

_And third, in the trees there was that same shadow, the last thing I saw as the world went black._

So that I could live

Like any other man.

*** Hatori's Point of View ***

For three months he had been in that coma – held alive by only feeble wires and tubes, as if they could actually hold him down on this earth...

And every day Akito went to be with him, holding his hand so tightly that her knuckles were white – almost as if it was really her who was holding onto him for life...

Then again, in the three months since Yuki had fallen into the coma, things _had_ changed drastically... Naturally, no one outside the Sohma family knew that Yuki had been in the accident – all they believed was that he had suddenly taken ill – with a possibly terminal illness. We all knew that there was only an extremely slim chance he'd survive... and yet still everyone clung to it, all of them crowding around the boy when they could.

And Yuki really had seemed to help break the bonds of this curse – even just lying there, unconscious to the world; he was helping in small ways that would help the way for the future Juunishi...

Because he was motivating the Juunishi to take action... motivating _Akito_.

Sure, she was just as sullen as she was before – snapping at the staff and Juunishi... but now no one blamed her for it – somehow they could see deep within her that she was changing.

Kyo had been the first to notice it, and, watching on, it was one of the most emotional things my Kana had claimed to have ever seen.

Finally she was standing there, a ring on her finger, her eyes no longer troubled... Akito had allowed me to lower the guards around her mind – not that much was needed anyway... just one look at me and she had begun remembering.

And now I felt whole...

The snow was finally melting, not just for me, but for all the Juunishi.

* * *

_She had sat there for a week, only leaving his side once a day to rest, before she saw one of the visitors – Kyo._

"_Hey." The neko spoke, not looking at her, just staring down at the unconscious boy._

"_Hullo Kyo." She replied, staring down at the boy too, ignoring the other two figures in the room, checking the monitoring systems – Kana and I. "How are you?"_

"_Alright I suppose." He replied, not looking at her, and an uncomfortable silence came about until he finally spoke again. "You?"_

"_Same." She whispered hoarsely, standing up, and grabbing something from in her Kimono pocket. "Take it, and Honda, and do what you want with your life."_

"_Wha?" He stood up, probably planning to confront her, but the Kami cut it first._

"_He wouldn't want to wake up and see you there." She whispered, before gliding out of the room, and I turned around to see Kyo collapse onto the chair, staring at the key blankly, his eyes worn._

"_She was only afraid Ha'ri-kun." Kana's sweet voice spoke, as she held my hand. Sure, she wasn't as innocent as when I had first met her, but then again, I didn't want her like that... I had grown I suppose, and it was only right that she had too..._

* * *

Kyo had now left – Tohru in tow – to explore the world before finishing their last year of school together, praying everyday that Yuki would wake...

Even Rin had visited once, to see him. It had only been for a few minutes, but it was enough – she had shown her respects to him... she had even thanked him, and apologised for not helping in the beginning.

Just like all of the Juunishi...

Well, _almost_ all the Juunishi.

After the car crash Hatsuharu vanished without a trace, the gun still in his possession. He hadn't once tried to come _here_, but there was a reason for that...

He thought Yuki to be dead.

By his own bullet.

And, in a way he had been... the bullet that had missed the Nezumi had hit the light on the car which would have shown Yuki... if it had been glowing...

But Hatsuharu didn't know Yuki was still alive... he hadn't known it as he had stormed into the Sohma morgue, the gun held high...

He hadn't known it as the police had surrounded him, guns aimed, and threats spoken...

He hadn't known as he had fired the first shot – into the morgue guard, to try and get inside the Juunishi part, and turning around just enough so that the police could take aim...

And fire into him.

It was only in his last moments, as he looked at the ceiling, seeing an engraving of the Nezumi onto of the Oushi that he realised what a fool he had been – that he should have thought it through...

* * *

_[Time passes, and seasons change, but a life never really ends..._

_Not a cursed life._

_The souls of the Juunishi will forever run through the blood of the Sohma's, as the family tries to atone for the sins that are always around._

_Sloth – not bothering to help each other..._

_Anger – against the Kami, against the curse... against me for what I did._

_Envy – there were many tales within the Juunishi, and we relied upon them too much – and so the envy crept up within our souls, destroying us more than the curse would ever do._

_Glutton – We wanted more than anything to be free – to consume the foods of freedom... and in the process we chained ourselves down even more..._

_Pride – that one was mostly me, to be honest... but there was others as well, taking care of 'number one' first and trampling down on the others, not bothering to give a helping hand..._

_Greed – that one is obvious. By wanting a higher position in the Juunishi, the mutt crusher down upon the others, trying to destroy their dreams... and almost succeeding..._

_And lastly, lust... the most deadly of them all... it was lust that consumed Hatsuharu – an obsessive lust that caused the actions... that caused our Yuki to die so prematurely._

_But we don't blame him... after all, with the curse upon us, we believe more openly than others – and know that fate is always there, decreeing our lives despite what little choices we make..._

_Goodbye Yuki Sohma – friend, brother and comrade. We will miss you... but... in the end, all meet again._

_Life is never truly over... Never...]_

Akito Sohma, 17th December 2011.

The Juunishi Morgue.

*** Seven Months Later ***

Deep in the middle of the Sohma Estate, in the office of the family Doctor, a woman lay, her blond hair sweat-soaked as she screamed out, her eyes wide in pain as she gave birth to her first born child.

And beside her, holding her hand every inch of the way stood her husband, helping coax out the child – a beautiful purple-eyed girl.

Looking deep into her eyes, the Doctor placed her onto the bed – careful to make sure he didn't embrace the child as he handed her to his wife – Kana Sohma.

"She's beautiful..." The new-mother whispered, embracing her premature child for the first time.

"Hauntingly so..." Hatori replied, staring at the child with wide eyes.

"She looks so much like that boy... the one at the—" Kana paused, her eyes widening too as she realised what had happened. "Take her Hari-kun," She urged her husband, a soft smile on her face. "Hold your child."

Lovingly, Hatori held out his arms, taking the girl into his embrace, his eyes soft as he held her and didn't transform.

"We will forever protect you, child..." He whispered.

"What should we call her?" The mother asked softly, sitting up as Hatori sat next to her.

"Izumi... the coming spring..."

"The snow has melted into spring now, hasn't it Ha'ri?"

_Yes Kana... but at what price did we have to pay... did his death make it worth it... in the end?_

* * *

**P.S. A new pole will be up, as to what story you want up next, and in about 2 weeks to a month I'll put up the first chapter of Obedience: Dark Realities.**


	35. Shisha Obedience: Dark Realities

26th December 2010

Hullo to all readers of _Obedience: White Lies_.

As I said on the epilogue to this story, I am going to release a parallel universe story to this, called _Obedience: Dark Realities_, co-written with the fabulous _Tabbyprincess_, who gave me the initial idea for this.

And so, before I release it on the **1****st**** January 2011**, I am going to give all of you who added this to their alerts list, sneak previews from a variety of chapters, to hopefully get you interested in the tale.

This has been a work-in progress for about ten or so months now, and has a solid plotline and many chapters already written, however to keep updates consistent we will update on my account every two-three weeks, on a Saturday.

Please enjoy:

Kyae and Tabbyprincess

* * *

_Taking a sip of his tea, Shigure sighed in bliss as the taste rolled around his tongue._

'_Heaven in a drink – that's what tea is... whoever knew that Yuki could actually do __**something**__ right...? Hmm... Maybe I could ask Aaya to make that maids outfit that I got for Tohru into Yuki's size... I'm sure Akito would find it amusing if Yuki woke up one day to find that the only outfit he had was a maids outfit... maybe the next time he's forced to the main house...' Shigure schemed to himself, enjoying the pain he could inflict. 'Hmm... I'll have to ask him for the recipe to this tea though; the herbal taste within it is very... zzzz...'_

_He took another sip of tea. The taste was familiar, but he couldn't place it..._

_He struggled to remember... the cup, too...it was connected to the smell in his memory..._

_It was only when his body stopped moving that he recognized the drink...or rather the drug..._

_It was the same one he had given Yuki to get him into the main house..._

* * *

Shaking off the memories abruptly, he knocked gently on the door, half-wishing that no one would actually answer the door.

"Coming!" An all-too-cheerful voice called out from inside the house, almost causing Yuki to wince at the happiness in it. It was strange how the voice that had once inspired such hope in him now caused distain to well up inside him.

"Does she _have _to be so god-damn cheerful all the time?" His companion murmured disdainfully, glaring at the door.

"That's just the way she is... I don't think _anything_ will change that." He sneered back.

"We'll see..." The other smirked back.

As the door opened, Yuki could almost pinpoint the _exact_ moment when Tohru's face changed from its normal cheerful self, to complete and utter stunned.

"Y-Yuki-kun?" Her startled voice spoke, and Yuki had to resist the sudden urge to smirk at her shocked expression.

"Hello Honda-san." He spoke in a perfectly even voice, giving her the cold smile that he had long since perfected. "May we come in?"

"W-we...?" She asked, confused, _obviously_ having not seen his companion.

"It's been a while, Honda-san." An ethereal figure moved forward, bowing slightly to the blushing girl, a smirk on her face.

"A-Akito... san..."

* * *

First he would capture Hatsuharu, well, fooling the stupid Ox wouldn't be too hard – he was **born** to follow the rat blindly, and so would do whatever was asked of him, if he spun a sweet tale of promises that would never occur.

Then, there was young Kisa... she was naive, innocent. She hadn't seen the world's cruelties yet, and so it wouldn't be hard to get her to follow him – after all, if she was manipulated into believing that Tohru didn't like her, she would follow him blindly, and it would hurt the Honda girl even more.

After Kisa there was the happy-go-lucky Momiji – a rabbit who wouldn't be so happy-go-lucky after he too was convinced of the cruelty in Honda that was all too clear...

...(Extract taken out)...

Oh – and that annoying Ritsu with his constant stream of headache bringing. To have _him_ dark and brooding would be a relief to everyone, and so he would see to that too.

Then there was Kureno – The only one of the Juunishi that he had almost no contact with, Akito's one-time pet bird, the one who was in disgrace now... well, in a way he had already been converted.

Penultimately there was Shigure.

The little pet mutt.

Well. Akito-sama had told him she didn't care for one such as him in her Juunishi.

So, as long as he didn't _kill_ the dog, Yuki could do what he wished.

At least, he could carry out his revenge.

'_He was the one who caused all of this. He sent me to be tortured. He was the one who sent me into the darkness... And I shall __**never**__ forgive him for that.'_

Lastly there was Kagura, obsessively adoring the cat, for reasons Yuki couldn't understand. For her, all he would have to do was turn her against Kyo. Fortunately he had an idea for that.

And then the monster himself had to be trapped.

Twelve Juunishi, the Cat.

Eleven who would be welcomed into Akito's world, one who would be kept away, and the last who was never allowed in there from the beginning.

'_Well, it's time to bring the Ox down...'_


End file.
